Trump's scandal-plagued pick wins Texas Senate primary run-off

Trump's scandal-plagued pick wins Texas Senate primary run-off — and Democrats see an opening

Ken Paxton, longtime Texas attorney general, has fended off scandal and will face Democrat James Talarico

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton ousted four-term U.S. Senator John Cornyn on Tuesday, riding President Donald Trump's endorsement to a lopsided victory for the Republican Senate nomination.

The race was called shortly after polls closed in Texas's westernmost counties, which are in a separate time zone from most of the ‌state. As of Wednesday morning, Paxton had over 63 per cent of the vote, according to reports from multiple U.S. media outlets.

"Without a shadow of a doubt, I will be the Democrats' No. 1 target in November," Paxton said in his victory speech. "Texas will be the radical left's No. 1 priority, but … we're not going to let them take it."

Paxton's win will force Cornyn into retirement early next year — and the Republican political establishment in Washington into embracing a candidate it has long opposed.

Cornyn told supporters ‌he will back the Republican ticket in November.

"I've said throughout this race that I trust the voters of Texas, and they made their decision, and I must respect it," he said in his concession speech.

Cornyn, 74, was backed by Republican leadership in the fight of his political life against Paxton, a 63-year-old, scandal-plagued attorney general ​who won Trump's endorsement last week.

In backing Paxton, Trump chose loyalty over electability as he continues to ‌flex his iron grip over Republican voters. This month, Trump's endorsement of Republican primary challengers ousted incumbents including Louisiana Sen. Bill Cassidy and Kentucky House Rep. Thomas Massie.

Cornyn, unlike some Republicans who have angered the president, voted against Trump's impeachments in 2019 and 2021. Recently, he was initially against eliminating the Senate's 60-vote filibuster in order to muscle through legislation favoured by the White House, to Trump's chagrin.

Cornyn's attempts to get himself back in the president's good graces — he posted a photo of himself reading Trump's The Art of the Deal — and proposed legislation to rename a stretch of interstate in Trump's honour were ultimately for naught.

Trump in a Wednesday morning social media post congratulated Cornyn "for having run a strong and powerful race but, more importantly, having had a truly great career."

"John will remain my friend for a long time to come, as we both watch Ken become a fantastic, common sense Senator, one who is respected by all."

Paxton was impeached by the Texas House, indicted for felony fraud, reported to the FBI by his top aides and is being divorced by his wife, though he has denied any wrongdoing. Angela Paxton, a state senator, shared her endorsements for a number of Texas races Tuesday but did not make a public endorsement in the contest featuring her estranged husband.

He will face Democratic state representative James Talarico in a high-profile race that ​could help decide control of the Senate and may become one of the most expensive in U.S. history.

Talarico, 37, is a Presbyterian seminarian and leading fundraiser whose campaign has appealed to independent and moderate voters. Paxton's supporters quickly attacked his past comments about a non-binary God and six biological sexes, with ​Paxton and the Republican National Committee chairman calling him "Tala-freak-o."

Democrats feel Paxton is beatable

Senate Republicans' campaign arm warned in an internal memo last year that a Paxton nomination "would hand Democrats ⁠an opening to flip Texas and cause Republicans ⁠to divert hundreds of millions of dollars that would otherwise be spent winning key battlegrounds."

Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate over Democrats, who would need to net four seats in November's election to take control of the chamber. Democrats are on defence in two states Trump won in 2024 — Georgia and Michigan— but could win the chamber by holding those two ⁠seats and flipping North Carolina, Maine, Ohio and Alaska.

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A competitive race in Texas, where no Democrat has won statewide since 1994, would expand the party's path to a majority and potentially force Republicans to redirect investments from more competitive battlegrounds to protect their nominee in a state that Trump carried by nearly 14 percentage points in 2024.

In a joint statement, Democratic Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand said, "Republicans are facing their nightmare scenario" while Democrats move closer to winning the majority.

Lauren French, ​a spokesperson for the Democratic Senate Majority PAC, said Paxton's win was a loss for Washington Republicans, who spent nearly $100 million US on Cornyn's behalf.

"Even members of his own party call Paxton too corrupt and too damaged for Texas. Now he's the GOP standard-bearer," ⁠she said. "Good luck with that."

In a new campaign video released Tuesday night, ⁠Talarico said, "The most corrupt politician in America just became the Republican nominee for United States Senate."

Cornyn's ​campaign attacked Paxton's character from the beginning, including calling him "Crooked Ken" and launching a dating game that allows users to swipe on Paxton's alleged mistresses.

With files from CBC News and The Associated Press