Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a decisive victory in the Republican primary runoff election on Tuesday, defeating incumbent Senator John Cornyn.

The win delivers another significant victory for former President Donald Trump in the ongoing battle within the Republican Party between traditional conservatives and MAGA loyalists.

Newsmax and Decision Desk HQ called the race for Paxton about an hour after polls closed. With approximately 59% of precincts reporting, Paxton had garnered 62.5% of the vote compared to Cornyn's 37.5%.

Paxton's victory marks the latest instance of a Trump-backed challenger ousting a long-serving Republican incumbent, following the recent primary defeats of Senator Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Representative Thomas Massie (R-Ky.).

Trump endorsed Paxton late in the race, framing the contest as a referendum on the future direction of the Republican Party. Paxton enthusiastically embraced the president's support throughout the campaign, portraying Cornyn as an out-of-touch, establishment Republican disconnected from the party's grassroots.

Cornyn, who has served in the Senate since 2002 and held leadership positions within the Senate Republican conference, argued that his experience and fundraising ability made him the strongest candidate to defend the GOP's seat in November.

However, the veteran senator struggled to quell conservative discontent over several issues, including aid to Ukraine, bipartisan negotiations, and his support for federal gun safety legislation following the 2022 Uvalde school shooting.

The primary race was one of the most expensive in Texas history, with outside groups and campaigns combined spending well over $100 million.

Paxton will now face Democrat James Talarico in November in what is expected to be one of the most closely watched Senate races in the country.

Democrats are expected to target Paxton's long history of legal controversies, including past impeachment proceedings and allegations of securities fraud. Republicans will argue that the attorney general's close ties to Trump will energize the conservative base in Texas.

The results are expected to further fuel concerns among traditional Republican donors about the shrinking political space for GOP officials who are not seen as fully aligned with Trump, Newsmax reported.

In related news, Nick Sortor suggested on X that the defeat of Senator Cornyn could also have repercussions for Senate Minority Leader John Thune.

"Texas is sending you a message," Sortor wrote. "You could have avoided this entire primary and saved John Cornyn if you had passed the SAVE America Act."

He continued, "You ignored us and thought elections could be bought. You were wrong. The voters are calling you out."

By Sung Ku Hong, Editor-in-Chief of NNP USA / Special Correspondent NNP info@newsandpost.com