Texas GOP Senate race moves to runoff with Cornyn leading and Paxton close behind
The Republican U.S. Senate primary in Texas is headed to a runoff after neither Sen. John Cornyn nor Attorney General Ken Paxton cleared the 50% threshold. Early returns showed Cornyn leading throughout the night, holding around 43%, with Paxton close behind at 41% and Wesley Hunt at 13%. Analysts noted that while a runoff was widely expected, Cornyn’s position at the top of the field was not — many anticipated Paxton to finish first. With tens of millions already spent in the primary, both campaigns are expected to unleash even more advertising and intensify their attacks as the race moves into what is likely to be a highly contentious runoff.