Ken Paxton narrowly leads John Cornyn in new poll of Texas' Senate GOP runoff
A University of Houston poll puts Cornyn three points behind Paxton in the Republican Senate runoff.
SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYCredibility rates San Antonio Current, where this article appeared. The other scores rate the article itself.
The article is credited to Texas Tribune reporters and identifies the Tribune as the source where it first appeared. The Tribune’s nonprofit funding disclosure is included, along with an explanation that financial supporters do not influence its journalism.
- Author attribution — Named Texas Tribune reporters are credited with the reporting.
- Transparency — The article discloses the Tribune’s funding model and says supporters play no role in its journalism.
- Source type — The page is published by a local news outlet and identifies the Texas Tribune as the original publisher.
The article gives the poll’s sponsor, sample size, field dates, margin of error and results, and adds primary-election and runoff context. It relies heavily on one poll and provides limited direct comment from the candidates, though it attributes campaign arguments and notes the survey’s funding disclosure.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The article supplies comparable polling figures and background for both Senate candidates, while identifying limitations in the broader polling landscape. It relies principally on one survey and does not present direct responses from both campaigns.
- Source diversity — The poll is from one university; the article notes that much other polling has come from groups with partisan ties.
- Counterarguments presented — The article presents results favoring both candidates across voter groups and discusses each campaign’s general-election argument.
- Loaded language — Most descriptions are factual or attributed, with limited evaluative phrasing.
- Omitted context — The article provides sample and margin-of-error details but no direct campaign responses to this poll.
The article reports poll figures and campaign context in a largely matter-of-fact tone, with no discernible partisan framing in its presentation.
- Language tone — The poll results and race context are described in mostly neutral language.
- Source selection — The article relies on a named university poll and attributes campaign arguments to the relevant camps.
- Framing — The story frames the result as a close contest and includes figures and context for both candidates.
Cites Texas Tribune
This article cites Texas Tribune as its original publisher. ChamberLight has not verified that it is a republication, so the scores are San Antonio Current's own.
57 stories · 78–81 · updated Oct 7, 2026
This is Texas Tribune's own score. The Source Check scores are for San Antonio Current and this article.
A University of Houston poll puts Ken Paxton ahead of John Cornyn, 48% to 45%, among likely voters in Texas’ Republican Senate runoff. The poll suggests a close May 26 contest, with undecided voters and turnout among each candidate’s supporters potentially decisive.
The University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs surveyed 1,200 voters from April 28 through Friday and reported a margin of error of plus or minus 2.83 percentage points. The poll found Paxton at 48% and Cornyn at 45%; in the March primary, Cornyn received 42% and Paxton 40.5%, with Wesley Hunt in third place at 13.5%. The article notes that polling since the primary has largely come from groups with partisan ties.
The poll found that 7% of respondents remained undecided and that likely runoff voters were evenly divided on whether Cornyn or Paxton would be stronger against Democratic nominee James Talarico. The article also reports results in Republican runoffs for attorney general and railroad commissioner, including Mayes Middleton leading Chip Roy and incumbent Jim Wright leading Bo French.
Community verdict
VOTING CLOSED
No good or bad look here
This story reports what happened without casting Cornyn in a good or bad light, so readers don’t rate it and it doesn’t count toward Cornyn’s record.
People in this story
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U.S. representative and Republican candidate for attorney general
U.S. representative and former candidate in the Republican Senate primary
Part of a bigger story
6 OUTLETSThe University of Houston poll put Ken Paxton at 48% and John Cornyn at 45% among likely voters in the Texas Republican Senate runoff; the three-point gap was within the poll’s margin of error. Left-leaning outlets treat the result as a close contest, with the San Antonio Current stressing undecided voters and turnout. Center outlets focus on the poll’s narrow result and other Republican runoffs. Right-leaning outlets pair the poll with a Paxton campaign ad criticizing Cornyn’s past immigration remarks.
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- OUTLETS
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- AVG CRED
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