John Thune

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said Republicans must quickly unite behind Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton after Paxton's decisive primary runoff victory over Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

In an interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt, Thune said Republican voters in Texas had spoken and the party now must focus on holding the seat in November.

"Ken Paxton is our nominee heading into November, and we've got to pivot and go all-in to make sure that we keep Texas red," Thune said.

Thune praised Cornyn as "a great partner" who "had done a great job for Texas and for our country," but said Republicans now face a larger political fight to preserve their Senate majority.

"We've got to do everything we can as a party to make sure that we win this race, because losing is not an option when it comes to the state of Texas and what it means for our majority in the Senate," Thune said.

Thune spoke directly with Paxton following Tuesday's runoff victory, marking the first reported contact between the two men since the bitter primary contest ended.

A person familiar with the conversation described the call as productive.

Paxton defeated Cornyn with roughly 64% of more than 1.38 million votes cast statewide, according to Newsmax reporting. The result marked the first time a Republican Texas senator lost a renomination bid.

President Donald Trump endorsed Paxton shortly before Election Day, calling him a "true MAGA warrior."

The Hill reported that some Senate Republicans had backed Cornyn throughout the primary and viewed Paxton as a weaker general election candidate.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, told reporters she was "supremely disappointed" by Trump's endorsement of Paxton over Cornyn.

During the interview, Hewitt asked Thune whether he and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Tim Scott, R-S.C., had already begun coordinating with Paxton.

"I have spoken with him. Spoke with John Cornyn as well. And yes, obviously, we are making the pivot," Thune replied.

Thune also warned that Republicans face competitive Senate races across several states and said maintaining the GOP majority will be critical to advancing Trump's agenda and confirming conservative judges.