Texas Republican Senate Primary Leads to Runoff Between Cornyn and Paxton

Incumbent Republican Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton failed to secure a majority in the 2026 Republican Senate primary, prompting a runoff scheduled for May. Cornyn holds a narrow lead of roughly 26,000 votes out of more than 2.1 million ballots counted.

On the Democratic side, State Rep. James Talarico won his Senate primary outright with about 70% of the vote, drawing strong support from Austin and central Texas counties. In the House races, several high‑profile contests emerged, including the defeat of incumbent Rep. Dan Crenshaw, who became the first House member to lose reelection in the 2026 cycle. In North Carolina’s 1st District, Republican Laurie Buckhout secured the nomination after spending over $1 million on advertising.