Thune previously backed Cornyn, calling him a “principled conservative” ahead of the runoff election.

During the campaign, John Cornyn attempted to rebrand himself as a loyal Trump ally and shed his reputation as an establishment Republican.

The president has endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the race.

President Donald Trump congratulated Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) on his career in the Senate as he took to Truth Social to celebrate Ken Paxton‘s win in the Texas Senate GOP runoff. “Congratulations to Ken Paxton on such a tremendous win,

It’s a loss for the Republican establishment, which viewed the brutal Texas Senate runoff as a battle for the soul of the party.

Like fellow Republicans exiled by the president, he still accepted Trump’s claim to inhabit the will of the party.