Texas GOP voters vote in race that could shape future of the party -- and the Senate

The hat of Diane Benjamin, Dallas #2021 precinct chair, is visible at a campaign event for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on May 18, 2026, in Dallas. Julio Cortez/AP hide caption toggle caption Julio Cortez/AP KATY, Texas — The music is blaring and the smell of smoked meats fills the air at an old-school barbeque joint that is quickly running out of seats. This political rally for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has drawn voters from the diverse Houston suburb of Katy. They include Ricardo Vidaurre and his wife, who are both beaming at the crowd as they dance to "YMCA" and other MAGA favorites. "He's not your typical politician," Vidaurre says of Paxton, in Spanish. "He has guts." A day earlier, the MAGA loyalist was endorsed by President Trump as the state's GOP nominee for U.S. Senate, in what has become the most expensive primary in history. The reelection campaign for four-term Sen. John Cornyn, a fixture of the party's establishment wing, is now on life support. The Republican political battle has raised the prospects for Democrats, who see this seat — and the Senate majority — in play. As for the Katy campaign rally, it's now morphed into what feels like an early victory party. "Voting for Cornyn is like voting for a Democrat," Vidaurre said. Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton speaks to supporters at a campaign stop on May 15, 2026 in Little Elm, Texas. …