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Ken Paxton has defeated John Cornyn in the Texas race, setting up a November election that will decide control of the US Senate.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxtonencouraged by the endorsement of President Donald Trump, he has defeated the four-time United States Senator John Cornyn in the Republican Senate election, according to the US media’s opinion.
The results, which were quickly called by Fox News and CNN after the polls closed on Tuesday, signaled Trump’s continued dominance of the Republican Party and deeply upset the party in Washington, DC.
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Cornyn, a longtime and former Republican whip, has represented Texas in the Senate since 2002 and entered the race as the favorite, backed by donors and Republican officials.
But the senator struggled to connect with Trump’s political base.
Cornyn previously criticized Trump and angered some conservatives by supporting bipartisan gun laws after the 2022 Uvalde school shooting, while Paxton has emerged as one of Trump’s closest allies.
Trump’s support reshuffled the race, making Cornyn the latest Republican to lose after falling out of favor with the president.
“Today, we came up short,” Cornyn told reporters after the race.
“I’ve always supported the Republican ticket,” he said, adding that he wanted to “do it again”.
The defeat makes Cornyn the first Republican senator from Texas to fail his party’s re-election bid and is expected to end his Senate term next year.
“Today, we just made history,” Paxton told cheering supporters, hailing Trump’s endorsement as “a very powerful political force”.
This month, Trump’s endorsement of his Republican rivals drove out incumbents including Louisiana Senator Bill Cassidy and Kentucky Representative. Thomas Massie.
Conflicts and inter-competition
Mr. Paxton spent years facing legal, ethical and personal conflicts, including the 2023 impeachment of the Republican-led Texas House of Representatives, allegations of corruption and malfeasance, and a high-profile divorce.
The 63-year-old was later acquitted by the Texas Senate and has repeatedly denied the allegations were politically motivated.
Paxton will now face Democratic State Representative James Talarico in a closely watched November race that could help determine control of the US Senate.
Talarico, 37, has appealed to independent and independent voters, while some Republicans privately fear that Paxton could struggle in the general election despite his popularity with Trump supporters.
A Republican House Senate campaign memo published last year warned that Paxton’s nomination would give Democrats a rare opportunity to sweep Texas and force Republicans to make a big dent in a seat that is considered safe.
“Without a doubt, I will be the Democrat’s number one target in November,” Paxton said.
The candidate predicted that Talarico would “raise more money than any Democrat in America”, and urged his supporters to donate to his campaign.
“If the Republicans lose this country, we lose the country,” Paxton warned.
Minutes after Paxton was announced as the winner of the Republican nomination for the US Senate, a Democrat called him “America’s most corrupt politician” in a post.
“He represents the broken system we’re fighting against,” Talarico wrote on X.
In another post, he asked Cornyn’s supporters to vote for him.
“You have a place on our campaign,” Talarico wrote.
