Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton won the Republican Senate runoff Tuesday with 63.8% of the vote, advancing to face state Rep. James Talarico in the fall campaign. The result follows President Donald Trump’s push for loyalty within his party, as supporters fr
Texas voters decided a lot more than a ballot measure Tuesday night.
Ken Paxton, the state’s attorney general, won the Republican Senate runoff election, ending the day with 63.8% of the votes and an estimated 98% of votes counted. The victory clears the path for Paxton to move into the fall campaign against state Rep. James Talarico.
The runoff also landed inside a larger political story. Paxton’s win was widely framed as another success for President Donald Trump’s efforts to reshape the party around loyalty.
During the race, Trump’s endorsement put a sharp spotlight on the contrast between Paxton and Sen. John Cornyn. Cornyn’s perceived electability was weighed against Paxton’s “unflinching” loyalty to Trump—a clash that turned the runoff into something closer to a referendum on where power should sit inside Texas Republicans.
By the time the vote totals were largely in, the direction of the matchup was already set: Paxton now heads toward the fall contest for the Senate seat.
The sequence of events matters because it leaves little ambiguity about the political alignment at play. In one direction. Paxton advances with a clear majority; in the other. Cornyn’s status inside the party is measured against the question voters effectively answered—whether Trump-aligned loyalty beats electability arguments.
Beyond Texas, other developments moved through Washington and the courts. A federal court blocked Alabama’s redistricting plan, with a three-judge panel saying the new maps showed evidence of racial discrimination. Alabama is expected to appeal the May 26 decision directly to the Supreme Court.
Separately, experts tracking COVID-era city population changes pointed to a decline in net international migration as a primary factor behind the slowing growth.
On the technology and everyday-life front, an environmental group introduced a new tool intended to help people check beach cleanliness levels for fecal contamination.
And on a different kind of national stage, the U.S. World Cup campaign has its own timeline to watch: led by head coach Mauricio Pochettino, Team USA is built around a 26-man squad featuring European-based players such as Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, and Tyler Adams.
For many Americans, the week’s news also comes with a lighter social angle. Fans of “Summer House” have a fresh reunion to dissect after Season 10’s reunion featured a house divided by a controversial audio leak. along with a divorce and a relationship scandal. The entire cast—Amanda Batula and West Wilson. plus their respective exes Kyle Cooke and Ciara Miller—addressed it during part one of a three-part reunion.
Texas runoff Ken Paxton James Talarico John Cornyn Donald Trump Republican Senate runoff Alabama redistricting racial discrimination maps Supreme Court appeal net international migration beach water tool Team USA World Cup