Results called for GOP Texas Senate primary after months of all-out brawl

After months of intense fighting, the Texas Republican Senate primary has been called: incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and MAGA attorney general Ken Paxton are headed to a runoff.

The runoff election will be held on May 26, with early voting beginning on May 18.

Cornyn, the incumbent senator, has been locked in a bitter struggle with Paxton, the longtime attorney general of Texas known for his bombastic MAGA rhetoric and his long history of personal and professional scandals. Cornyn attempted to fend off the challenge by repeatedly touting his record of voting with President Donald Trump.

Cornyn called Paxton "dead weight" for the Republican Party in a statement to reporters.

The third figure in the race, Hunt, was a complicating variable who threatened to spoil the race for either candidate. In later parts of the cycle, Cornyn trained his attacks on Hunt as well, pointing out how many times he was absent from major votes on the campaign trail.

Republicans have carried every statewide race in Texas since 1994. Democrats have attempted in several cycles to make the state competitive, but have fallen short each time.

On the Democratic side, the primary between U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico attracted heavy national interest and massive turnout on a scale not seen since the 2008 Democratic presidential primary.