President Donald Trump (R) congratulated Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) after he defeated Sen. John Cornyn (R) in the Republican runoff for U.S. Senate in Texas, while also praising Sen. Cornyn's long political career.
In a post on the social media platform Truth Social, Trump called Paxton's victory "tremendous" and said Cornyn had run "a strong and powerful race."
"Congratulations to Ken Paxton on such a tremendous win, and to John Cornyn for having run a strong and powerful race but, more importantly, having had a truly great career," wrote Trump. "John will remain my friend for a long time to come, as we both watch Ken become a fantastic, common-sense Senator, one who is respected by all."
Trump previously endorsed Paxton during the runoff race, helping solidify support among conservative voters and Republican elected officials across Texas. Paxton ultimately defeated Cornyn with 64% of the vote to 36%, securing the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.
In the same statement, Trump sharply criticized Paxton's Democratic opponent, James Talarico, referring to him as "the worst TEXAS candidate I have ever seen," while attacking his positions on border security, crime, gender issues, and other cultural topics.
"I will do some nice, big, beautiful rallies for Ken," Trump added. "Texas, this will be FUN! GOD BLESS AMERICA."
Paxton's victory marks one of the biggest political upsets in recent Texas Republican politics, ending Cornyn's long tenure as one of the state's U.S. Senators. Cornyn has emphasized his relationship with Trump and his record of voting alongside the former president throughout the campaign, but Paxton successfully consolidated support from the Republican base after securing Trump's endorsement.
The general election matchup is now set as Paxton prepares to face Talarico in November.
