Texas Republican Senate Runoff Set for Tuesday Between Paxton and Cornyn

Voters in Texas head to the polls on Tuesday for the Republican runoff in the U.S. Senate primary between state Attorney General Ken Paxton and incumbent Senator John Cornyn. The winner will face Democratic nominee James Talarico in the November midterm election. Democrats have not held a statewide office in Texas since 1994.

Ken Paxton, 63, is the Republican attorney general of Texas and received an endorsement from President Donald Trump on the president’s Truth Social platform. Paxton has sued technology companies over data practices, made border security a central campaign issue, and pledged to finish construction of a border wall with Mexico.

John Cornyn, 74, has represented Texas in the Senate since 2002. He previously served as the state’s attorney general and as a justice on the Texas Supreme Court. Cornyn has voted in line with Trump’s positions 99 percent of the time.

These issues include allegations of securities fraud and mortgage fraud. A poll commissioned by a pro-Cornyn super PAC and reported by the Texas Tribune reached similar conclusions.

Talarico, 37, won the Democratic nomination in March after defeating U.S. Representative Jasmine Crockett. Talarico has proposed raising the federal minimum wage, banning stock trading by members of Congress, and supporting a two-state solution between Israel and Palestinians. Recent polls show Talarico either tied with or leading both Republican candidates within the margin of error.