Cornyn, Paxton advance to GOP runoff in Texas as Democrat Talarico heads on in US Senate race

AUSTIN, Texas (CN) — After Texans cast their votes in Tuesday’s primary elections, Democrats are looking ahead to the general election while Republicans are preparing for a fierce runoff in the marquee race for U.S. Senate.

Republican U.S. Senate primary

Going into Election Day, four-term incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn faced fierce political headwinds from his challengers, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and two-term Houston Congressman Wesley Hunt. But as the dust clears, Cornyn remains on top despite being forced into a May 26 runoff.

With 94% of votes counted as of 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, Cornyn led Paxton with 41.9% to 40.7%, respectively. Hunt finished in third with 13.5%.

Cornyn, first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002, has lived through immense changes within the Republican Party. While staunchly conservative, he’s shown a willingness to work with Democrats and has at times gone against Trump.

By contrast, Paxton is a Republican for the Trump era. Since becoming Texas attorney general in 2015, he has used his office to wage high-profile legal battles against big tech, the pharmaceutical industry and nonprofit groups that go against his socially conservative worldview.

Hunt gave up his Houston-area congressional seat, which he held for two terms, and cast himself as an alternative for voters who are looking for new blood. Before entering politics, Hunt was an officer in the U.S. Army.

While Cornyn has touted his extensive pro-Trump voting record, Paxton and Hunt both criticized him for working with Democrats on certain issues, including gun control. Cornyn fired back at his challengers, lambasting Hunt for missing votes in the U.S. House and highlighting the litany of scandals that have plagued Paxton’s tenure as attorney general.

Shortly after assuming office as Texas’s top cop, Paxton was indicted on state securities fraud charges. In 2024, Paxton struck a deal with prosecutors to avoid the case going to trial by agreeing to pay over $200,000 in restitution and committing to community service. However, in 2023, the attorney general was impeached by the Texas House of Representatives over accusations that he abused his office to give aid to a political donor who was under federal investigation. Paxton later received a full acquittal of those charges after a trial in the Texas Senate.

After the race was called, Cornyn told supporters the race as it stands is “crystal clear.”

“I refuse to allow a flawed, self-centered and shameless candidate like Ken Paxton risk everything we worked so hard to build over these many years,” Cornyn said. “There is simply too much at stake in this midterm election for our state and country.”

Paxton, at his own campaign event, told supporters that while Cornyn spent around $100 million on the race, his campaign spent only $5 million, proving in his mind that “Texas is not for sale.”

“After all of the personal attacks, which there were many, and after all the lies, you listened to what John Cornyn is selling and you were not buying it,” Paxton said.

Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate

In the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, Austin-area state Representative James Talarico was declared the winner after midnight, beating Dallas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett. With 92% of votes counted as of 7:30 a.m., Talarico led Crockett 52.8% to 45.9%.

The candidates largely agree on policy, but were drastically different in how they went about courting voters. Crockett aimed to energize her base of support among Texas Democrats by leaning into her persona as one of Trump’s favorite targets for ridicule. Talarico, meanwhile, aimed his populist message against economic elites to Texans of various political stripes. He has also leaned on his Christian faith and experience as a Presbyterian seminarian in his message to voters.

Shortly after voting on the University of Texas at Austin campus Tuesday, Aidan Flanigan, a student studying for a master’s degree in economics, told Courthouse News he chose Talarico over Crockett, seeing him as the candidate who is more likely to stay firm in his progressive values.

“There are a lot of issues where I am worried that being bipartisan also means compromising on foundational beliefs,” Flanigan said.

Looking ahead to November, Greg Khan, a voter in West Austin, said he sees Talarico as the candidate who stands the best chances of winning statewide.

“He has the best chances in the general election,” Khan said about the state representative. “And if Paxton makes the Republican primary, then Talarico stands a chance, but if Cornyn does, then he may just squeak by.”

The Democratic primary hit a snag in Dallas and Williamson counties on Tuesday, where voters were confused by new rules requiring them to cast their ballots within their precinct instead of at any polling location in the county, as many other Texas counties allow. A court in Williamson County extended voting hours at two locations until 10 p.m., while a court in Dallas County extended polling hours until 9 p.m. However, the Texas Supreme Court issued an order late Tuesday, calling on the counties to separate votes cast after 7 p.m., resulting in speculation over whether those ballots will be counted.

Speaking to her voters at an election watch party, Crockett expressed frustration over the state high court’s intervention in voting in Dallas County, one of her strongholds, and placed blame on the GOP for the confusion at the polls.

“Unfortunately, this is what Republicans like to do. They specifically targeted Dallas County and I think we all know why,” Crockett said.

Before the race was called, Talarico addressed his supporters, saying his results were “proof something is happening in Texas.”

“Tonight, the people of our state gave this country a little bit of hope, and a little bit of hope is a dangerous thing,” Talarico said.

U.S. House races

U.S. House races in South Texas were under the microscope after Republicans redrew the state’s congressional districts to give their party an advantage, in the hopes of flipping five seats now held by Democrats.

In House District 34, incumbent Democrat Vicente Gonzalez handily won his party’s nomination Tuesday. Gonzalez will face off against Republican Eric Flores, a Trump-endorsed Army veteran and lawyer.

U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar in House District 28, another Democrat representing the border area, is also being targeted by Republicans. Cuellar successfully fended off two primary challengers and now heads into a race against Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina, a former Democrat who had Trump’s endorsement in the primary.

Republican incumbents Dan Crenshaw of House District 2, near Houston, and Tony Gonzales of House District 23, which covers much of the Texas-Mexico border, faced backlash from constituents.

Crenshaw lost his bid for reelection to State Representative Steve Toth, who led by 15 percentage points, with 95% of votes counted as of 7:18 a.m. Toth framed the race as a referendum on Crenshaw, who has at times feuded with the MAGA wing of the GOP.

Gonzales, who faces accusations he had an affair with a staffer who later died by suicide and is now subject to a House Ethics Committee probe announced Wednesday, advanced to a runoff against Brandon Herrera, a pro-gun YouTube influencer. At 7:09 a.m., with 94% of votes counted, Herrera led with 43.3% to Gonzales’s 41.7%.

Texas Attorney General primary

In the Republican race to fill Attorney General Ken Paxton’s boots, Austin Congressman Chip Roy and Galveston State Senator Mayes Middleton advanced to the May runoff. With 93% of the votes counted at 7:20 a.m., Middleton led the race at 39.2% with Roy trailing at 31.6%.

The race also included State Senator Joan Huffman of Houston and former U.S. Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General Aaron Reitz.

Roy, Middleton and Reitz each vowed to fight for Texas’ conservative laws on guns, abortion and immigration, while taking on “woke ideology.” Roy faced criticism from Middleton and Reitz for instances when he went against Trump. However, the president did not issue an endorsement in the race.

Democrat Dallas State Senator Nathan Johnson led his party’s field with 47.9%, with 91% of votes counted at 7:33 a.m., securing his place in the runoff.

His opponent was not yet decided Wednesday morning. Former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski and former U.S. Assistant Attorney Tony Box remain in a close heat, at 26.6% and 25.5%, respectively.

North Carolina also held primary elections Tuesday. Voters there gave shape to another closely watched U.S. Senate race where Democrats hope to flip a seat held by a Republican.

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