Politics

Ken Paxton's Primary Victory Shows How Trump's Grudges Undermine His Party's Interests

The president's last-minute endorsement of Paxton was driven by his petty grievances against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, who was clearly the safer bet to retain the seat.

Jacob Sullum | 5.27.2026 4:20 PM

Share on FacebookShare on XShare on RedditShare by emailPrint friendly versionCopy page URL Add Reason to Google

Media Contact & Reprint Requests

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (Laura Brett/Sipa USA/Newscom)

In the first round of the Republican U.S. Senate primary in Texas on March 3, John Cornyn, the incumbent, prevailed over his closest competitor, outgoing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, by about two points. But in the second round on Tuesday, Paxton trounced Cornyn, winning 64 percent of the vote in the head-to-head match.

Since the candidates disqualified in the first round received less than 17 percent of the vote in total, that is a pretty striking reversal. The only factor that can plausibly explain it is President Donald Trump's last-minute endorsement of Paxton, which he announced one week before Texans cast their ballots.

Paxton's victory is further evidence that Trump, despite his low approval ratings in national polls, retains enough sway over Republican primary voters to defeat candidates he deems insufficiently loyal to him. But a party organized around one man's petty vendettas may face problems down the road, as illustrated by the challenge of persuading Texas voters to pick Paxton, a divisive and scandal-plagued Trump devotee, over Democratic nominee James Talarico in November.

Until Tuesday, Cornyn, who previously served as a district court judge, a Texas Supreme Court justice, and the state's attorney general, had never lost an election. He was first elected to the Senate in 2002, when he won 55 percent of the vote. He repeated that performance when he ran for reelection in 2008, received 62 percent of the vote in 2014, and got 54 percent in 2020. During his four terms in the Senate, which included a stint as majority whip, Cornyn had a solidly conservative record, earning an 85 percent lifetime rating from the CPAC Foundation.

Explaining why he decided to oppose a veteran legislator who seemed like the surest bet to help Republicans retain their Senate majority, Trump described Paxton as "an America First Patriot" who "has always been extremely loyal to me and our AMAZING MAGA MOVEMENT." While Cornyn is "a good man," Trump said, "he was not supportive of me when times were tough" and "was very late in backing me in what turned out to be a Historic Run for the Republican Nomination."

Cornyn's sins against Trump include his comments during the 2016 presidential race. "We can't have a nominee be an albatross around the down-ballot races," he told CNN in February 2016. "That's a concern of mine." Trump "certainly is a controversial figure," he added. "I think we need someone who can unify the party, as opposed to divide the party."

After Trump took office in 2017, Cornyn nevertheless was a reliable defender of his policies and conduct. "Cornyn has proved to be an immutable Trump ally throughout........

© Reason.com