Background Incumbent senator
John Cornyn is seeking a fifth term but is facing a competitive primary from
attorney general Ken Paxton, which is progressing to a runoff after no candidate reached a majority in the first round. The two have clashed for years, with Paxton criticizing Cornyn for being insufficiently conservative, particularly over his support for
U.S. aid to Ukraine,
DREAM Act for
DACA beneficiaries and playing a leading role in the passage of the
bipartisan gun safety bill after the
Uvalde school massacre. Cornyn, in turn, has highlighted
Paxton's legal troubles, perceived
character flaws and corruption, and his
2023 impeachment, in which Paxton was impeached by the Republican-controlled
Texas House before the
Senate later acquitted him of all charges. The race has been seen as a key contest between the
Texas Republican Party's establishment wing and its hardline conservative faction. In recent years, insurgent
hard-right candidates have steadily gained ground, often ousting more traditional GOP officials. Polling reflects this divide: Paxton holds a commanding lead among "
Trump Movement" voters, while Cornyn performs better with the smaller group of "
Traditional Republicans".
Donald Trump did not endorse either candidate, though he described both Paxton and Cornyn as good friends. His influence was widely seen as a key factor in determining the primary winner. He had previously criticized Cornyn as a "hopeless"
RINO (Republican in name only) for supporting the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, an attack Paxton's campaign highlighted in their ads.
Ted Cruz, the junior senator, has likewise avoided taking a side in the primary, though he previously endorsed Cornyn in
2020. The election takes place amid efforts by the state Republican Party to restrict its primary to registered members. Legislation to allow closed primaries failed, prompting the party to sue the state, claiming the current law violates the
First Amendment. Despite serving as the state's attorney general, Paxton declined to defend the law in court, drawing criticism from those who argued he would gain electorally from a closed primary.
Candidates Advanced to runoff •
John Cornyn, incumbent U.S. senator (2002–present) •
Ken Paxton,
attorney general of Texas (2015–present)
Eliminated in primary • John Adefope • Sara Canady, former
Wilson County Justice of the Peace and candidate for in
2022 • Gulrez "Gus" Khan, entrepreneur, candidate for in
2024, and candidate for mayor of
Lubbock in
2022 • Rennie Mann, president of the
Richland Springs school board • Barrett McNabb, chiropractic business owner
(ran for U.S. House) • Tony Schmoker, realtor •
Kay Bailey Hutchison, former
U.S. ambassador to NATO (2017–2021) •
Rick Perry, former
U.S. secretary of energy (2017–2019) and
governor of Texas (2000–2015) •
Mike Pompeo, former
U.S. secretary of state (2018–2021) •
Pamela Willeford, former
U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein (2003–2006) •
Marsha Blackburn,
Tennessee (2019–present) •
Tom Cotton,
Arkansas (2015–present) •
Bill Hagerty,
Tennessee (2021–present) •
Rand Paul,
Kentucky (2011–present) •
Tim Sheehy,
Montana (2025–present) •
Tommy Tuberville,
Alabama (2021–present) •
Henry Bonilla, former
TX-23 (1993–2007) •
Bill Flores, former
TX-17 (2011–2021) •
Craig Goldman,
TX-12 (2025–present) •
Pete Olson, former
TX-22 (2009–2021) •
Mattie Parker,
mayor of Fort Worth (2021–present) This led many Republicans to back Cornyn, as Senate GOP leaders pressed Trump for an endorsement. Cornyn told
The Wall Street Journal in June 2025 that he would consider stepping aside if a stronger candidate emerged to defeat Paxton, but he quickly walked back the comment, stating he would remain in the race. Congressman
Wesley Hunt entered the race in late 2025, further scrambling the race and increased the chance of a runoff. All three candidates competed for the endorsement of Donald Trump, having made support for him and his agenda central to their campaigns; however, Trump declined to back a single candidate, instead stating he supports "all three". Cornyn had maintained a substantial fundraising lead over the other candidates throughout the race, spending much of it attacking Paxton. The early three-way polling had been very narrow, usually with Cornyn and Paxton making the runoff and no candidate close to winning outright. While campaigning, all three tapped into
Islamophobic sentiment in their advertisements and actions, with Cornyn and Paxton having targeted the
EPIC City development in
Collin County with investigations and lawsuits.
Fundraising Candidates in
italics withdrew before the primary election took place.
Polling Aggregate polls John Cornyn vs. Wesley Hunt Ken Paxton vs. Wesley Hunt John Cornyn vs. Ronny Jackson vs. Chip Roy John Cornyn vs. "Someone Else" Results Cornyn led Paxton narrowly in the primary election, garnering 41.9% of the vote to Paxton's 40.7%, while Hunt placed a distant third with 13.5% of the vote. Support for Cornyn and Paxton was relatively evenly spread across the state, though Cornyn performed slightly better in urban areas, especially
Dallas and
Austin, while Paxton performed slightly better in rural areas, particularly in
East Texas. Hunt performed slightly better in regions which backed Paxton, suggesting his presence on the ballot hurt Cornyn more than Paxton. Even in Hunt's
own congressional district, however, he still came in third with barely over 20% of the vote. In the days leading up to the March 3 primary, Paxton suggested he could win outright and avoid a runoff. However, Cornyn overperformed expectations in what
The Texas Tribune described as a "better-than-expected showing". Rolando Garcia, a member of the
State Republican Executive Committee who supported Hunt in the primary but plans to back Paxton in the runoff, said the result should alarm the Paxton campaign. On March 5,
The Atlantic reported that Trump advisers expected the president to endorse Cornyn in the runoff election after his unexpectedly strong performance in the first round of voting.
Runoff Campaign Despite speculation following his first-place primary finish that Trump would endorse Cornyn, Trump did not endorse either candidate by the March 17 withdrawal deadline. Republicans had hoped the non-endorsed candidate would exit to avoid a costly runoff and allow the nominee to focus on the general election. However, Paxton refused to withdraw unless the Senate eliminated the
filibuster to pass the
SAVE America Act. Meanwhile, Cornyn, previously a staunch defender of the filibuster, signaled openness to reforming or bypassing it, as Trump indicated his endorsement could hinge on the bill's passage.
Fundraising Polling Results ==Democratic primary==