Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday evening was projected to win his primary challenge against Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, decisively, marking the ouster of the decades-serving senior lawmaker from the upper chamber.

The Associated Press projected Paxton to win at 9:02 p.m. EST, with 49% of precincts reporting. As of press time, Paxton led with 62.5% to Cornyn’s 37.5%.

Cornyn narrowly emerged ahead in the initial round of the primary, but the elimination of Rep. Wesley Hunt, R-Texas, appeared to benefit Paxton. President Donald Trump endorsed Paxton at the last minute, potentially contributing to the victory margin.

The president initially stated that he would endorse a candidate in the runoff and ask the other to drop out, though he held off on doing so after Paxton offered to drop out if Cornyn could secure passage of the SAVE America Act, a marquis voter ID bill.

Cornyn ultimately could not secure the bill’s passage and Trump cited the SAVE America Act as a factor in his decision to endorse Paxton.

Cornyn’s ouster follows Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., losing his own primary to a Trump-backed challenger, though Cassidy placed third behind Rep. Julia Letlow, R-La., and state Treasurer John Fleming.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent for Just the News. Follow him on X.