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● InformationalElections / Campaigns

Texas runoff results: Paxton wins GOP U.S. Senate nomination, plus other key statewide race results

Paxton defeated John Cornyn in the Republican U.S. Senate runoff and will advance to the general election.

Texas runoff results: Paxton wins GOP U.S. Senate nomination, plus other key statewide race results
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Outlet credibilityHouston Public Media79/100 HIGH
This article1 analysis · Oct 6, 2026
tl;dr

Ken Paxton defeated John Cornyn in the Republican U.S. Senate runoff, while voters also chose nominees in several other Texas statewide races. The winners advance to November’s general election.

Community verdict

VOTING CLOSED
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Ken Paxton R · TX
NOT RATEDCLOSED

No good or bad look here

This story reports what happened without casting Paxton in a good or bad light, so readers don’t rate it and it doesn’t count toward Paxton’s record.

● INFORMATIONAL

People in this story

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Ken Paxton
R · TX

Republican nominee for U.S. Senate

PRIMARY SUBJECT
John Cornyn
R · TX · SEN

Incumbent U.S. senator and defeated Republican Senate candidate

Cornyn's version of this story ↗
Donald Trump
R · President of the United States

President who endorsed Paxton

Chip Roy
R · TX-21

U.S. representative defeated in the Republican attorney general runoff

Tom Smith
R · MI

Assistant attorney general and Republican primary runoff winner for Place 3 on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals

ALSO MENTIONED  Alison Fox, Attorney and defeated Republican primary candidate for Place 3 on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals; Bo French, Former Tarrant County GOP chair and Republican railroad commissioner candidate; Dan Patrick, Republican lieutenant governor and incumbent in the November general election; Gina Hinojosa, Democratic gubernatorial nominee; Greg Abbott, Republican governor and candidate in the November gubernatorial race; Jim Wright, Incumbent railroad commissioner and defeated Republican candidate; Joe Jaworski, Former Galveston mayor and defeated Democratic attorney general candidate; Marcos Vélez, Labor organizer and defeated Democratic lieutenant governor candidate; Mayes Middleton, State senator and Republican nominee for attorney general; Nathan Johnson, State senator and Democratic nominee for attorney general; Salman Bhojani, Texas state representative targeted by French’s remarks; Talarico, Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate; Vikki Goodwin, State representative and Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor

Part of a bigger story

26 OUTLETS
Ken Paxton Wins Texas Republican Senate Runoff

Outlets agree Ken Paxton defeated John Cornyn in the Texas Republican Senate runoff to win the party’s Senate nomination; he will face James Talarico in November. Left-leaning outlets link the win to Trump’s influence and emphasize Republican reversals and a possible Democratic opening. Center outlets mostly report the result and November matchup, though some highlight Paxton’s controversies or the race’s national stakes. Right-leaning outlets foreground Trump’s endorsement and Paxton’s win over Cornyn, with some presenting it as a victory for Trump-aligned politics and others weighing the November contest.

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