In his first extensive interview since his defeat by a Trump-backed challenger, the Texas Republican said the Senate was in for a “bumpy ride” as he and others flex new political freedom.

The lawyer, Dan Cogdell, helped save Mr. Paxton from criminal charges and an impeachment, but now he says the Texas attorney general has “lost sight of his mission.”

The Texas attorney general has mounted an all-out effort to prove Democratic Hispanic groups have been corrupting elections. Now he could be the beneficiary of his own attacks.

We’ve grouped six battleground states by some of the factors that shape how likely it is for the party to flip each Senate seat.

Democrats cheer there is a way, even as new worries emerge over whether Graham Platner can flip a Maine seat. Republicans remain confident they will prevail in Texas, Iowa and Alaska.

Jim Rigby, a pastor who rarely uses the word “God,” is a key to understanding the Senate candidate trying to pull off something unusual in Texas.

After attacking the Texas attorney general, who won the G.O.P. nomination, Senate Republicans are pivoting sharply to support him in what is now a competitive race.

Personal attacks and a packed campaign rally set the tone for what is likely to be a rancorous contest for U.S. Senate between James Talarico and Ken Paxton in Texas.

Senator John Cornyn lost to his MAGA-aligned challenger, Ken Paxton, by 28 percentage points. It was a historically poor showing.

Senators are angry President Trump turned on a respected former leader whom they consider a loyal Republican. Now Mr. Trump faces resistance from his own embittered ranks.

Ken Paxton’s victory for the Republican nomination and a big shift among Hispanic voters have put a Senate seat within reach.

Many Democrats and some Republicans said the scandal-plagued Ken Paxton’s victory could turn Texas into a battleground state that will determine Senate control.

Republican voters made a familiar bet, that Texas is conservative enough that any Republican, even the most conservative, will beat a Democrat.

President Trump’s record of ousting those he sees as disloyal continued apace with Senator John Cornyn’s defeat. Whether his relationship with Senate Republicans can be repaired is another question.

Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, overcame scandals and a significant fund-raising disadvantage to win. His victory sets up the general-election clash that Democrats had hoped for.

With the support of President Trump, Mr. Paxton unseated Senator John Cornyn in a high-profile Republican runoff.

James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, has been raising money and looking to unite his party for the general election.

All eyes will be on the Republican Senate runoff between the incumbent John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton. But Tuesday’s runoffs in Texas will feature other important contests.

“The stupid stuff is killing our chances,” said a retiring Republican senator.

A tough re-election race grew more daunting after President Trump backed Mr. Cornyn’s opponent, Ken Paxton. The Texas senator has vowed to fight to the end.

He has used his sway with his base to oust wayward Republicans more than he has made inroads with the independents his party needs to defeat Democrats in November.

News that President Trump had snubbed Senator John Cornyn of Texas, the four-term incumbent, was met with shock, anger and fear that the G.O.P. could lose his seat.

A single donor’s contribution of $2.75 million could help propel Representative Chip Roy in his clash with a self-funded state senator, Mayes Middleton.

The fate of Ken Paxton, the conservative Texas firebrand, could decide whether Republicans keep control of the Senate.

The Texas attorney general is heading into the runoff against Senator John Cornyn without the support of some of his longtime backers.

The court that paused a 2023 law allowing state and local police officers to arrest migrants has now ruled that the measure is legal, a decision likely to be appealed.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit said the law does not violate the Constitution. The plaintiffs said they planned to ask the Supreme Court to reverse the decision.

President Trump’s decision not to weigh in before the deadline means both John Cornyn and Ken Paxton remain on the ballot, extending their costly and increasingly personal battle into a May runoff.

By suing Republican states and making sharp reversals in old cases, the Trump administration is using courts to fast-track major shifts in policy.

The president has yet to make an endorsement in the contest between John Cornyn and Ken Paxton as he tries to push the Senate to pass a bill requiring voters to show identification at the polls.