Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, fended off a primary challenge from Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush in Tuesday’s runoff election. With 59 percent of the expected vote counted, Paxton held a 34-point lead over Bush.
Paxton’s victory, projected by the Associated Press, is also a victory for former President Donald Trump, who endorsed the attorney general for reelection. Trump saw his picks in Georgia’s governor race and secretary of state race lose earlier Tuesday night.
Paxton is best known nationally for trying to challenge the 2020 presidential election results and for his aggressive actions in taking on President Biden’s administration in court.
Paxton had defeated Bush in the March primary election by nearly 20 points but failed to garner 50 percent of the vote in the crowded primary field. The race narrowed with the two having advanced to a runoff election, with a Dallas Morning News-University of Texas at Tyler poll released this month finding Paxton with a 6-point edge over Bush.
The race pitted the longevity of the Bush dynasty against a popular but embattled incumbent. Paxton’s campaign had portrayed Bush as a “RINO,” or Republican in Name Only candidate.
