Trump-Backed Paxton Challenges Cornyn In Texas Runoff
High-dollar Texas Republican runoffs culminated May 26, 2026 in a costly Cornyn-Paxton Senate contest that involved Trump's late endorsement, legal controversies and heavy ad spending.
New York PostKen Paxton swamps John Cornyn in Texas GOP Senate runoff after securing Trump endorsement
The Post MillennialBREAKING: Trump-endorsed Paxton WINS GOP Senate runoff against incumbent Cornyn
RedStateThe Texas Senate Runoff Just Delivered a Brutal Verdict for the GOP Establishment
Raw StoryTrump left the door wide open for midterms with '$100 million' mistake: GOP analyst
Overview
Texas Republicans voted in a U.S. Senate runoff on May 26, 2026, with polls closing at 8 p.m. ET as counties reported results, according to live updates.
The runoff pitted incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, who led the March primary with 42%, against Attorney General Ken Paxton, who finished with roughly 40% to 41% in March.
President Donald Trump endorsed Paxton before the runoff, shifting the contest and prompting Senate GOP leaders and the fundraising arm to spend millions opposing Paxton.
Cornyn won seven of the 10 top vote-producing counties that comprised about 45% of March votes, netting a 34,883-vote edge while Paxton won the other 244 counties by 3,065 votes, analysts said.
Results are unofficial until certified and counties will continue reporting returns, and House Democrats placed a last-minute ad while some members said they would move to expel Maureen Galindo if she wins, reporting said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present this live-results coverage neutrally, focusing on rolling vote totals, percentages, and procedural disclaimers. They avoid evaluative language, prioritize official tallies and candidate names without adjectives, and include standard certification caveats. Emphasis on real-time data and refresh instructions underscores informativeness rather than editorial judgment.