AUSTIN, Texas — After 24 years in the U.S. Senate and 18 straight campaign wins, Sen. John Cornyn announced he has lost the Republican primary runoff election to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Cornyn said he had “fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith” as he conceded.
The mood inside the JW Marriott hotel in downtown Austin was tense, as a room full of only reporters waited quietly for his announcement.
The runoff followed months of public battling between Cornyn and Paxton on social media. Cornyn said 8% of registered voters cast ballots in the race and that roughly 60% sided with Paxton. Moments before Cornyn’s announcement, many Texas officials, such as Governor Greg Abbott, congratulated Paxton for his victory.
RELATED| Texas AG Ken Paxton wins GOP runoff for US Senate, ousting longtime Sen. John Cornyn
The result came a week after President Donald Trump officially endorsed Paxton as the Republican nominee.
Cornyn did not mention Paxton in his speech, but he thanked his family, his staff, and Texans for his time as senator.
Cornyn also quoted: “It’s not the critic that counts. Not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could’ve done better. The credit belongs to the man who’s actually, in the arena.”
Cornyn said that in his final seven months, he plans to continue his work to “make this nation a better place for all Texans.”
After his announcement, Cornyn did not answer questions and said he would have more to say later before walking out of the room.
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In November, Paxton will face Democratic nominee James Talarico for the U.S. Senate seat.