Cheers, tears and victory as Ken Paxton defeats John Cornyn in dramatic GOP runoff

The runoff proved to be a pure test of Trump’s endorsement power inside low-turnout primary elections. While Cornyn had narrowly edged past Paxton during the initial multi-candidate primary in March, Trump’s eleventh-hour endorsement of Paxton during early voting entirely reshaped the race’s trajectory.

Seemingly confident of his impending primary victory, Paxton, 62, already began pivoting toward his general election matchup, airing television ads over the past week portraying his opponent as a far-left Democrat.

Paxton’s victory is particularly stunning given the historic volume of political and legal baggage trailing his candidacy. Over the past few years, Paxton was impeached by the Republican-led Texas House over corruption and bribery allegations and faced felony securities fraud charges that were later dismissed.

Paxton's victory might be characterized as another example of the strength of Trump's endorsement. Trump has seen several Republicans he endorsed beat out his critics in primaries, including Cassidy in Louisiana and Representative Thomas Massie in Kentucky.

Paxton, while beset with personal and political scandals over the years, was a favorite among Trump's populist base in Texas. He campaigned against the 74-year-old Cornyn as too old, too timid, too aligned with the political establishment, and too out-of-touch with Texas conservatives.