Image Credentials: Image Title: Texas Primaries Reshape Key US Senate and House Battles Ahead of Midterms. Source: (chatgpt.com) Date: May 2026. Attribution: This image was created using AI-generated imagery (chatgpt.com) by Open Chronicle and does not depict a real-world scene.
By Open Chronicle with agencies
Texas voters delivered a major political shake-up during Tuesday’s primary runoffs, setting the stage for several closely watched races that could influence the balance of power in Washington after the November midterm elections.
The most significant result came in the Republican Senate primary, where Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated four-term incumbent Senator John Cornyn in a contest that reflected the continuing dominance of President Donald Trump within the Republican Party.
Paxton secured a decisive victory with 63.9% of the vote against Cornyn’s 36.1%, after receiving Trump’s endorsement only days before the runoff. The result marks a historic political upset, making Cornyn the first Republican senator from Texas to lose his party’s nomination for reelection.
MAGA always wins.
The doomer grifters always lose.
It’s almost getting boring defeating them every turn. https://t.co/vGnkk27ELC
— Catturd ™ (@catturd2) May 27, 2026
The race had become a referendum on loyalty to Trump and the direction of the Republican Party. Cornyn had previously criticized Trump during the 2024 presidential campaign, stating that the former president’s political era “had passed him by.” He was also once skeptical of Trump’s border wall project along the US-Mexico border, although he later shifted his position in support of it.
Despite the bitter campaign, Cornyn pledged to back Paxton in the general election.
“Tonight we’ve come up short,” Cornyn said after the results were confirmed. “I’ve always supported the Republican ticket, and I intend to do so again.”
Paxton will now face Democratic state Representative James Talarico in November, in what is expected to become one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country.
Several important congressional primaries were also decided across Texas.
In the Republican runoff for Texas’s 9th Congressional District, Alex Mealer achieved a commanding victory over Briscoe Cain, winning 68.7% of the vote.
Meanwhile, in the Republican runoff for the 35th Congressional District, Carlos De La Cruz defeated state Representative John Lujan with 57.7% support. De La Cruz will face Democrat Johnny Garcia in November after Garcia won his own Democratic runoff against Maureen Galindo.
One of the most unusual contests unfolded in the Democratic primary for Texas’s 18th Congressional District. Due to recent redistricting changes, two incumbent Democratic congressmen were forced into the same district. Representative Christian Dashaun Menefee defeated longtime Congressman Al Green by a wide margin, securing 68.4% of the vote.
Another major Democratic contest saw former Congressman Colin Allred return to the political spotlight after defeating incumbent Representative Julie Johnson in the runoff for the 33rd Congressional District.
Texas voters also selected candidates for the next state attorney general, as Paxton vacates the office while pursuing his Senate campaign.
Republican state Senator Mayes Middleton defeated Congressman Chip Roy to secure the Republican nomination, while Democratic state Senator Nathan Johnson won his party’s nomination after defeating former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski.
Political analysts say the Texas primaries highlight the continued influence of Donald Trump over Republican politics, particularly in conservative strongholds such as Texas. At the same time, the results also exposed growing internal divisions within both major parties ahead of the national midterm campaign.
With control of Congress potentially hanging in the balance, many of the races finalized Tuesday are expected to attract national attention, significant campaign funding, and intense political battles over the coming months.