Ken Paxton, Texas Attorney General and a prominent Trump ally, is projected to win the Senate GOP nomination in Texas, ousting longtime incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, CBS News reports. This shift marks a significant change for the Republican Party in the Senate.

Trump’s Last-Minute Endorsement Proves Key

Trump’s endorsement of Paxton came just days before the election, and at his victory party, Paxton expressed his gratitude, stating, ‘when everyone in Washington told him to abandon me and abandon the people of Texas, he didn’t listen.’ He added, ‘President Trump is the leader of our party, and his endorsement is the most powerful force in politics.’

Trump also congratulated Paxton on his win, noting on social media that Cornyn ‘ran a strong and powerful race’ and that Cornyn ‘had a truly great career.’ He further stated, ‘John will remain my friend for a long time to come, as we both watch Ken become a fantastic, common sense Senator, one who is respected by all.’

Cornyn Concedes and Vows to Support GOP Ticket

At his election night event, Cornyn acknowledged the voters’ decision, saying, ‘I’ve said throughout this race that I trust the voters of Texas, and they made their decision, and I must respect it.’ Cornyn, a four-term incumbent who once served in Senate GOP leadership, had received the most votes in a three-way primary race with Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt in March. However, no candidate secured a majority, leading to a Paxton-Cornyn runoff.

Previously, Trump stayed on the sidelines but later endorsed Paxton, writing that the attorney general ‘has always been extremely loyal to me.’ He also noted that Cornyn ‘was not supportive of me when times were tough.’ Hunt, another primary candidate, also backed Paxton after the initial race.

Implications for the GOP and the November Election

The Senate GOP campaign arm had invested millions to defeat Paxton, as they believed it would be easier to defend the seat against Democratic nominee James Talarico with Cornyn at the top of the ticket. Texas’ other elected officials, including U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. Greg Abbott, supported Paxton and urged party unity to defeat Talarico.

Paxton emphasized the stakes of the race, stating, ‘Texas will be the radical left’s number-one priority,’ and added, ‘this campaign is not about red versus blue, it’s about so much more.’ He warned that Talarico ‘is a threat to everything we hold dear in this state and in our country,’ and later noted, ‘every Republican knows that if we lose this state, if Republicans lose this state, we lose the country.’

Talarico, in a statement, thanked Cornyn for his service and extended an olive branch to Cornyn’s supporters, stating, ‘To Senator Cornyn’s supporters: you have a place in our campaign.’

Majority Leader John Thune, when asked if Trump’s endorsement of Paxton would make it harder for Republicans to hold onto Senate control, said, ‘the majority runs through a lot of states.’

This outcome is the latest example of a Trump-backed candidate defeating an incumbent who ran afoul of the former president. Similar results were seen earlier this month when Sen. Bill Cassidy won his state’s primary after Trump endorsed a challenger. In Texas, Paxton’s victory is part of a broader trend of Trump-backed candidates unseating establishment figures within the GOP.