Republican Ken Paxton (left) and Democrat James Talarico (right) will face off in the Texas U.S. Senate race this fall. Paxton defeated incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the most expensive primary in U.S. Senate history, a race that cost $130 million. Photo: PBS NewsHour
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May 29, 2026
Ken Paxton just beat a sitting U.S. senator in the most expensive Senate primary in American history. Now he faces Democrat James Talarico in what could be one of the most watched races of the 2026 midterms. What does this mean for Texas, and for the future of the Republican Party?
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President Trump again proved his political power in Texas as his endorsed candidate in the Senate primary won in a landslide. Ken Paxton secured the GOP nomination, beating incumbent Sen. John Cornyn. The race was the most expensive primary in U.S. Senate history, costing $130 million. Paxton will face Democratic nominee James Talarico in the fall in what’s set to be one of the nation’s marquee midterm races. Geoff Bennett discussed the results with Brandon Rottinghaus.
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redistricting — the practice of drawing congressional district lines
gerrymandering — redistricting to benefit one political party over another; the practice dates back to the 19th century
As noted in the questions and infographic above, the U.S. Senate race in Texas was the most expensive in U.S. history. The U.S. House race in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District, which resulted in Ed Gallrein beating incumbent Rep. Thomas Massie, was the most expensive primary in the history of the House of Representatives at $32 million. In his concession speech, Massie took a shot at his opponent over the many millions of dollars that pro-Israel groups poured in to the primary to try to defeat the incumbent.
But Republicans aren't the only ones spending record money on primaries. Read the article, Billionaire Tom Steyer's ad spending breaks records in California governor's race, about spending in the California governor's race, and then discuss:
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Republished with permission from PBS News Hour Classroom.
