Cornyn, Paxton Head to Runoff in Texas GOP Senate Primary

The race has come alongside a similarly contentious Democratic primary.

(Left) Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) speaks during a Get Out The Vote campaign rally at the Schertz Civic Center Conference Hall in Schertz, Texas, on March 2, 2026. (Right) Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, addresses supporters during a campaign stop, in Waco, Texas, on March 2, 2026. Brandon Bell/Getty Images; Tony Gutierrez/AP Photo

DALLAS—Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton will advance to a runoff in the Texas Republican Senate primary race after neither candidate managed to achieve 50 percent of the vote.