The Votes Are Being Counted

Texas runoff polls closed at 7 p.m. local time on May 26, 2026 — 9 p.m. EDT for most of the state — and results are now being tabulated. According to NBC News and The Hill, this is the culmination of a months-long race between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Trump-backed state Attorney General Ken Paxton for the Republican Senate nomination.

The winner will face Democratic state Rep. James Talarico in November.

Cornyn's Final Argument: Math and Loyalty

In his last-minute pitch to voters, Cornyn told NBC News he votes with Trump "99.3% of the time." He specifically called out the distinction between himself and other incumbents who lost Trump's support — naming Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, who voted to convict Trump after January 6, and Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, who Cornyn said "has been opposed to the president and his agenda across the board."

Cornyn's argument: he's NOT those guys. He insisted Trump's Paxton endorsement was about frustration with the Senate as an institution, not a personal rebuke of Cornyn's loyalty.

Asked directly why Trump called him "disloyal," Cornyn said he has "a different interpretation of the facts." That's a polished way of saying the President of the United States is wrong about him. He made the case the day of a runoff election.

The Angela Paxton Factor

Ken Paxton's estranged wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, released her endorsements for various state races on Tuesday — and conspicuously left the Senate race blank, according to The Hill.

His own wife, who is a sitting state senator, wouldn't back him publicly. She didn't endorse Cornyn either. She simply offered no position on the race everyone in Texas is watching.

The Redistricting Picture

Also on Tuesday, according to The Hill's live updates, Republican congressional map efforts ran into obstacles. A federal panel rejected Alabama's congressional map that favored GOP control, and the Republican-led South Carolina Senate voted against advancing a new congressional map that Trump had pushed.

Those two redistricting setbacks in a single day reflect the broader landscape of how Trump-aligned political projects are faring. NBC News confirmed South Carolina's rejection specifically. The Texas Senate race is being framed as a referendum on Trump's political power, and on the same day, his redistricting agenda faced setbacks in two other states.

What's Actually on the Ballot Beyond the Senate Race

The Senate race is the headline, but it's not the only thing Texas voters decided Tuesday. Per The Hill and KSAT:

• AG race: Retiring Rep. Chip Roy faces state Sen. Mayes Middleton in the GOP runoff to replace Paxton as Texas Attorney General.
• TX-33 Congressional: Former Rep. Colin Allred faces Democratic incumbent Rep. Julie Johnson in a Democratic primary runoff.
• TX House District 125: Democrat Adrian Reyna faces former Bexar County Constable Michelle Barrientes Vela. Reyna led the March primary with 39%.
• State Senate District 19: Republican Marcus Cardenas faces Robert Marks Jr. for the right to challenge incumbent Democrat Roland Gutierrez in November.

The Roy vs. Middleton race carries nearly as much weight as Cornyn vs. Paxton. Roy is a known conservative fighter who built his brand on fiscal discipline and border security. Middleton has Trump's MAGA lane locked up. Whoever wins the AG nomination inherits one of the most powerful legal offices in the country.

Coverage Gaps

Most outlets are framing this entirely as a Trump loyalty test — did Texas Republicans choose the Trump pick or the establishment pick? That's a real story.

What's being undercovered: Angela Paxton's publicly known position is a significant data point. The AG race has real implications for Texas law enforcement and border policy. The redistricting losses in Alabama and South Carolina on the same day frame the national context. Cornyn's 99.3% claim should be fact-checked against his actual voting record, not simply accepted at face value.

What This Means

If Paxton wins, Texas sends Washington a message: Trump endorsements can topple 20-year incumbents, and Senate seniority means nothing without MAGA credentials. That reshapes how every Republican senator up for reelection in 2026 and 2028 operates.

If Cornyn survives, the message is that institutional credibility and Senate effectiveness carry weight with Texas Republican primary voters — even over a direct presidential endorsement.

Either way, Talarico is watching. A weakened or damaged Republican nominee emerging from a brutal primary is exactly what Democrats need in what should be a safe red seat.

Results are coming in.