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PLANO, Texas (AP) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate on Tuesday, easily defeating four-term Sen. John Cornyn in the latest contest where President Donald Trump sought to oust an incumbent he saw as not sufficiently loyal.
Trump endorsed Paxton last week, calling him a “true MAGA warrior.” Paxton’s victory in Tuesday’s runoff makes Cornyn the first Republican senator from Texas to lose the party’s nomination for reelection.
Cheers rang through the ballroom at Paxton’s election night party when the race was called, as the stage filled with supporters holding Paxton campaign signs.
Paxton took the stage to chants of “Ken, Ken, Ken,” and he quickly gave credit to Trump.
“When everyone in Washington told him to abandon me and abandon the people of Texas, he didn’t listen,” Paxton said. “President Trump is the leader of our party, and his endorsement is the most powerful force in politics.”
At Cornyn’s watch party, the senator said he will support Paxton in the general election.
“Tonight we’ve come up short,” Cornyn said. “A few years ago, I had a friend of mine say, ‘You know what makes God laugh?’ He said, ‘When we make plans.’”
“I’ve always supported the Republican ticket,” he said, “and I intend to do so again.”
Cornyn’s loss followed primaries this month where Trump successfully backed challe...
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