Texas Republican Senate Primary: Three-Way Race Competitive and Expensive

In November 2024, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R., Texas) came five votes short of winning the Senate GOP leadership race to U.S. Senator John Thune (R., S.D.). A little more than a year later, the Lone Star State’s 74-year-old senior senator is now facing the very real prospect of losing his own primary amid a formidable challenge from his home state attorney general, Ken Paxton.

Tuesday’s three-way GOP contest between Cornyn, 63-year-old Paxton, and 44-year-old U.S. Representative Wesley Hunt is one of the most competitive, closely watched, and expensive Republican Senate primaries of the 2026 cycle. Republicans in Texas and in Washington have long expected the race to go to a runoff, which will take place in late May if no candidate clears more than 50 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s election.

About the Author

Audrey Fahlberg

Audrey Fahlberg was a politics reporter for National Review.

Featured Tags

In November 2024, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R., Texas) came five votes short of winning the Senate GOP leadership race to U.S. Senator John Thune (R., S.D.). A little more than a year later, the Lone Star State’s 74-year-old senior senator is now facing the very real prospect of losing his own primary amid a formidable challenge from his home state attorney general, Ken Paxton.

Tuesday’s three-way GOP contest between Cornyn, 63-year-old Paxton, and 44-year-old U.S. Representative Wesley Hunt is one of the most competitive, closely watched, and expensive Republican Senate primaries of the 2026 cycle. Republicans in Texas and in Washington have long expected the race to go to a runoff, which will take place in late May if no candidate clears more than 50 percent of the vote in Tuesday’s election.