Ken Paxton, the Texas Attorney General, has won the Republican Senate primary runoff against incumbent Senator John Cornyn. According to CNN, Paxton will advance as the GOP nominee to face Democrat James Talarico in November.
Paxton secured President Donald Trump’s endorsement just a week out from the runoff election. In his victory speech, Paxton thanked the president, stating that his endorsement is the most powerful force in politics.
Cornyn, who has served in Congress for 23 years, including 12 years as a high-ranking member of the Senate Republican leadership team, was defeated despite his long history of service to the state of Texas.
The primary runoff was marked by a costly and bruising campaign, with both candidates spending millions of dollars on advertising and attacks on each other.