John Cornyn concedes Ken Paxton to Republican runoff in Texas
Sen. John Cornyn has conceded the Texas primary runoff as Attorney General Ken Paxton claims victory and looks to November.
- Sen. John Cornyn lost the Senate primary to Trump supporter Ken Paxton.
- Trump criticized Cornyn, saying he “doesn’t support me,” but the longtime Texas senator was not one of the seven people who voted to convict Trump during his impeachment trial.
- Of the seven Republican senators who voted against Trump in his impeachment trial, only three are still in office. One just lost his re-election campaign, and the other is up for re-election this fall.
President Donald Trump’s influence over the Republican Party again prevailed in the Texas Senate primary runoff elections held on May 26th.
President Trump endorsed Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, who has served as attorney general for more than 20 years. About an hour after voting closed, the Associated Press, Fox News and other news outlets called for Paxton to run.
A similar story unfolded for Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), who lost a primary election earlier this month after campaigning against President Trump by pointing to the senator’s vote to convict him in his 2021 impeachment trial.
Mr. Cornyn did not vote for Mr. Trump’s impeachment, but Mr. Trump said Mr. Cornyn “did not stand by me in a tough time” when supporting his opponent.
Only three senators who voted against Trump in the impeachment trial are still sitting, and one is up for re-election this fall. Who is it?
Did John Cornyn vote to impeach Donald Trump?
No, Cornyn voted to acquit Trump in both impeachment trials.
Impeachment is similar to indictment. Authorizes formal charges against federal employees accused of committing crimes.
Articles of impeachment must be adopted by a simple majority vote in the House of Representatives before the Senate can hold an impeachment trial. A defendant can only be removed from office if the Senate convicts the defendant by a two-thirds majority vote.
Which senators voted to impeach Trump?
Trump has been impeached twice by the House of Representatives, but the Senate acquitted him both times.
In December 2019, the House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump on two articles. One charge is that he abused his power by asking Ukrainian officials to investigate a political rival, and the other charge is that he obstructed a Congressional investigation into the matter. In February 2020, the Senate voted to acquit the president, with Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) the only Republican to vote to convict on a bipartisan basis.
In January 2021, the House of Representatives voted to impeach Trump again, charging him with “incitement of insurrection” in connection with the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Ten Republicans split ranks and voted with Democrats in favor of impeaching Trump. Only two of these 10 members are currently in office, and one of them has said he will not seek re-election in 2026. The remaining members either retired from office or lost the election.
The Senate trial took place after Trump left office, but some Republicans decided it was unnecessary because he was no longer in power. A bipartisan majority of seven Republicans voted to convict, but the 57-43 vote fell short of the two-thirds majority needed for conviction. Because he was acquitted, there was no vote to bar him from ever serving as president again.
The seven Republican senators are:
Three senators remain. 1 will be re-elected this year.
Of the senators who voted against Trump in his second impeachment trial, only three remain in office. Cassidy lost the primary election and his term will end in January 2027. Since voting to convict Trump, Murkowski is the only one to have been reelected.
Collins is seeking re-election in Maine this year. She is running undefeated in the Republican primary, but political newcomer Graham Platner has emerged as a likely Democratic challenger in a race that has already garnered national attention.
President Trump has expressed anger in the past over Collins’ votes against his own party.
“Republicans should be ashamed of the senators who just voted with Democrats to strip us of our authority to fight and defend the United States of America,” Trump wrote on January 8, when five Republicans voted with Democrats to reaffirm Congress’s role in authorizing military action in Venezuela. “Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, Rand Paul, Josh Hawley, and Todd Young should never be elected to public office again.”
According to The Hill, Plattner said President Trump should be impeached on May 21, but warned his supporters that that may not be possible.
Contributed by Phillip Bailey, Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY
Kinsey Crowley is a Trump Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Please contact KCrowley@usatodayco.com. follow her X (Twitter), thread, blue sky and TikTok.
