Texas voters headed to the polls on Tuesday for high-stakes primary runoff elections. The Republican US Senate runoff drew intense national attention as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton challenged four-term incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.
President Donald Trump endorsed Paxton late in the race, calling him “a true MAGA Warrior.”
“Ken is a true MAGA Warrior who has ALWAYS delivered for Texas, and will continue to do so in the United States Senate,” the president said on Truth Social.
“The Highly Respected Attorney General of Texas, Ken Paxton, an America First Patriot, and someone who has always been extremely loyal to me and our AMAZING MAGA MOVEMENT, is running for the United States Senate, to represent a place I love and WON, BIG, three times, with 6.4 Million Votes in 2024 (The Most Votes in the History of the State, BY FAR)!,” Trump added.
Results (As of 9p.m. EDT)
US Senate
Republican Runoff: According to NBC News projections, Ken Paxton defeated incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, winning 62.6% of the vote (518,807 votes) compared to Cornyn’s 37.4% (310,284 votes).
Democratic Nominee: State Rep. James Talarico secured the Democratic nomination after defeating a crowded field that included Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the earlier primary round.
Governor
Gov. Greg Abbott easily won the Republican nomination in the March 3 primary, capturing about 82% of the vote as he seeks a fourth term.
On the Democratic side, state Rep. Gina Hinojosa won the nomination with roughly 59% support in a multi-candidate race.
Attorney General (Open Seat)
With Paxton opting to run for Senate rather than seek reelection as attorney general, the race to replace him became one of the state’s most competitive contests.
Republican Runoff: State Sen. Mayes Middleton led with about 57% of the vote, ahead of Rep. Chip Roy, who received approximately 43%, according to early NBC News results.
Democratic Runoff: State Sen. Nathan Johnson led former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski by roughly 60% to 40%.
Lieutenant Governor
In the Democratic runoff, state Rep. Vikki Goodwin held a decisive lead with around 69% support over Marcos Isaias Velez, who trailed at approximately 31%.
Incumbent Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick comfortably secured the Republican nomination earlier this year.
Key US House Runoffs
Several notable congressional runoff races also drew attention across Texas:
District 18 (Democratic): Christian Menefee was projected to defeat Rep. Al Green with nearly 69% of the vote.
District 33 (Democratic): Colin Allred led Julie Johnson with about 55%.
District 35 (Democratic): Johnny Garcia led with roughly 59%.
District 35 (Republican): Lujan narrowly led with approximately 51–52% of the vote.
