As soon as polls closed in Texas on Tuesday, election officials certified a decisive victory for state Attorney General Ken Paxton, effectively ending Sen. John Cornyn’s 35-year political career. The margin of victory stood at 30 points.
“Last night was very powerful,” President Trump stated during Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting at the White House. Earlier that day, he posted on social media calling Cornyn a friend and pledging to headline “big, beautiful rallies” for Paxton in the coming months.
Throughout the day, Trump shared screenshots of news outlets reporting a 100% success rate in primary endorsements so far this year.
The result was labeled an “all-time total collapse and embarrassment for the GOP establishment.”
For months, National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Tim Scott had publicly extolled Cornyn on morning news programs, insisting he was key to maintaining Texas’ red status. The committee compiled lists of Paxton’s personal and professional scandals, while Cornyn repeatedly dismissed his opponent as an embarrassment.
In his concession speech Tuesday night, Cornyn pledged support for Paxton as the party’s nominee—despite months of branding him scandal-ridden and morally unfit.
