Texas Runoff Elections Conclude Tuesday as Cornyn-Paxton Senate Race Tops Ballot
Why It Matters
Texas voters headed to the polls Tuesday to settle a series of party primary runoffs that will determine nominees for some of the state’s most consequential offices — including a U.S. Senate seat, the attorney general’s post, and a Railroad Commission seat that oversees the nation’s largest oil and gas industry. The outcomes will shape the Republican Party’s direction in Texas and could set the stage for competitive general election contests in November.
What Happened
Tuesday’s runoffs were triggered after no candidate secured a majority in the March 3 primary across multiple statewide, congressional, and legislative races. The contests cap what has been one of the most expensive and contentious primary cycles in the state’s recent history.
The headline matchup pits incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a Republican primary that saw more than $135 million in combined ad spending. Cornyn finished ahead of Paxton in March but fell short of the 50% threshold required to avoid a runoff. President Donald Trump issued an endorsement of Paxton one week before Election Day, a move widely seen as tilting the race in the attorney general’s favor.
Cornyn, a four-term senator running for a fifth, has cast himself as a Reagan-style conservative and warned that nominating Paxton risks Republican control of the seat. Paxton has countered that he is the more authentic Trump-aligned candidate and has pledged to challenge what he calls the Republican establishment. The winner faces Democratic nominee James Talarico, an Austin state representative, in the general election.
Attorney General Race
With Paxton vacating the attorney general’s office to run for Senate, both parties are competing to fill the seat. On the Republican side, Galveston state Sen. Mayes Middleton — who has invested close to $17 million of his own funds in the race — faces U.S. Rep. Chip Roy. Middleton has emphasized his alignment with Trump and conservative causes, while Roy has drawn on his background as a former federal prosecutor and first assistant at the attorney general’s office to challenge Middleton’s legal credentials. Roy received a late infusion of $2.75 million from Amarillo businessman Alex Fairly.
The Democratic runoff features state Sen. Nathan Johnson of Dallas against former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski. Both candidates fell short of an outright majority in March. Each has pledged to restore what they describe as nonpartisan functions at the agency and to pursue litigation challenging federal executive actions. For more on how Democrats view the attorney general race as part of a broader effort to compete statewide in Texas, see our earlier coverage.
Railroad Commission Runoff Draws Scrutiny
A typically low-profile Republican primary for a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission — the state agency regulating oil and gas operations — has become an unexpectedly high-stakes contest. Incumbent Commissioner Jim Wright, who carries endorsements from Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, faces former Tarrant County Republican Party Chair Bo French.
French’s campaign has been funded largely by prominent conservative donors, including oil industry figures Tim Dunn, his son Luke Dunn, and Farris Wilk. French has drawn criticism — including from fellow Republicans — over remarks including a social media post questioning whether Jewish or Muslim Americans posed a greater national risk, and a speech at a conservative conference this spring in which he called for the deportation of 100 million people. Wright has criticized French for campaigning on social issues outside the Railroad Commission’s jurisdiction. French’s presence on the ballot has raised concerns among some Republicans that his nomination could jeopardize what is typically a safe GOP seat. Wright received notable financial support from casino magnate Miriam Adelson and Dallas real estate developer Harlan Crow.
By the Numbers
- $135 million+ — combined ad spending in the Cornyn-Paxton Senate runoff
- ~$17 million — personal funds invested by Mayes Middleton in the attorney general race
- $2.75 million — late-cycle donation to Chip Roy from Alex Fairly
- $500,000 — donation from Miriam Adelson to Railroad Commission incumbent Jim Wright
- 50% — vote threshold required to avoid a runoff under Texas election law
What’s Next
Results are expected Tuesday evening. Winners in each runoff advance to November general election matchups. The Rio Grande Valley congressional district also features a competitive Democratic runoff as the party attempts to recover ground lost to Republicans in recent cycles. All nominees will face their general election opponents in November, with several races already drawing national attention and fundraising interest from both parties.