NBC News projects that Texas will see a Republican Senate runoff between current U.S. Senator John Cornyn and the state’s Attorney General Ken Paxton after neither candidate secured the necessary majority in Tuesday’s primary election.
The incumbent Cornyn finished first in the three-candidate race, while U.S. Representative Wesley Hunt came in third place. Since no candidate reached the 50% threshold, Cornyn and Paxton will compete in a runoff scheduled for May 26.
The primary battle proved expensive, with supporters of Cornyn, who has backing from Senate Republican leadership, pouring more than $60 million into efforts to help the sitting senator defeat Paxton.
Political observers note that Republican primary runoff voters typically lean more conservative, which could give Paxton an advantage in the upcoming contest. However, Cornyn has countered by pointing to concerns about Paxton’s past controversies, suggesting these issues could make him a weaker candidate against any Democratic opponent in the general election and potentially put what should be a secure Republican Senate seat at risk.
Despite winning Texas by nearly 14 percentage points in 2024, former President Trump chose not to back any candidate in the primary. Whether Trump will make an endorsement before the May runoff remains uncertain.
