Trump Seals Bitter Month of Political Revenge as Ken Paxton Topples Senator John Cornyn in Texas Runoff

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has won the republican nomination for the senate race beating incumbent Senator John Cornyn.

This victory continues the successful streak of the President primarying his political opponents in his own party over the last month.

Trump's Takeover of the Republican Party

'After a public service career lasting more than four decades and 18 consecutive campaign wins, tonight we've come up short in this primary runoff,' Cornyn said after his decisive loss was called. 'I've always supported the GOP ticket. I intend to do so again this general election.'

This month has cemented that this is still President Donald Trump's Republican Party. Earlier, Trump took out five republican state lawmakers in Indiana because they did not concede to the White House's campaign to redraw U.S. House districts to advantage them in the next elections.

Trump refused to endorse current Sen. Bill Cassidy in Louisiana over his vote to impeach Trump during his second trial in the Senate in 2021 following the January 6th riot; instead, he backed a primary challenger who won.

Rep. Tom Massie is not heading back to the house next year after Trump led a primary crusade against him for the apparent sin as relentlessly asking for accountability for convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and transparency for his survivors.

In a social media post, Trump said that: 'I know Ken well, have seen him tested at the highest and most difficult levels, and he is a winner!' Trump wrote on Truth Social.

'John Cornyn is a good man, and I worked well with him, but he was not supportive of me when times were tough.'

Trump said Cornyn had been 'VERY disloyal' to me and told voters in Texas to 'REMEMBER!'

Paxton's Personal and Political Baggage

Paxton comes with a tremendous amount of personal and political baggage that could cost him; and his party in November.

Paxton was impeached in the state house by his own party no less in 2023 after being accused of corruption, and reported to the FBI. He was later acquitted in a trial in the Texas senate by republicans where his wife was a state senator, but not permitted to vote.

'Paxton was also indicted on charges of felony securities fraud that could have led to a prison sentence, but the case was dismissed after a 2024 pre-trial diversion agreement,' according to The Guardian. And last year his wife of 38 years, Angela Paxton, filed for divorce 'on biblical grounds,' citing adultery and a slew of 'recent discoveries.'

Republicans including Cornyn are worried that Paxton's baggage could hurt other down ballot races like the Governor's and state house races.

Tough Fight with Talarico

Even though Texas has been a strong Ruby red Republican stronghold for over 20 years state Representative James Talarico is trying to change that; and he might just succeed.

In polling last month from the Texas Tribune in a hypothetical Talarico and Paxton contest found that Talarico was up 46% to 41%.

A Talarico upset would be a political earthquake as Democrats have not won a statewide office since Bob Bullock won the 1994 Lieutenant Governor race.

The midterm elections take place on the 3rd of November.