Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has announced he will challenge U.S. Senator John Cornyn in the 2026 Republican primary, escalating a feud between the state GOP's hardline and establishment wings. Paxton, recently cleared of major legal troubles, criticized Cornyn's record. The race is expected to be highly contentious, with early polls showing a competitive field and the endorsement of Donald Trump seen as a key factor.
Paxton Senate challenge announcement
- ▪Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on April 8, 2025, that he will challenge U.S. Senator John Cornyn in the 2026 Republican primary
- ▪Ken Paxton made his announcement on the Fox News show hosted by Laura Ingraham, stating it was "time for a change in Texas."
- ▪Ken Paxton criticized John Cornyn for a "lack of production" during his 22 years in the U.S. Senate
Texas GOP factional divisions
- ▪The primary contest is a clash between the Texas GOP's hardline, socially conservative wing supporting Ken Paxton and its business-minded old guard aligned with John Cornyn
- ▪A spokesperson for John Cornyn's campaign responded to Ken Paxton's announcement by calling him a "fraud."
- ▪In 2022, John Cornyn called Ken Paxton's then-unresolved felony securities fraud indictment a "source of embarrassment."
- ▪John Cornyn has faced criticism from the right for supporting military aid to Ukraine and for his role in negotiating a gun violence bill
Paxton legal case resolutions
- ▪A Travis County judge awarded four former aides $6.6 million in a whistleblower lawsuit against Ken Paxton, a ruling he has vowed to appeal
- ▪In 2023, Ken Paxton was impeached by the Texas House for alleged bribery and abuse of office but was acquitted by the Texas Senate
- ▪Nine-year-old felony securities fraud charges against Ken Paxton were dropped in exchange for him performing 100 hours of community service and paying restitution
- ▪The Department of Justice declined to prosecute Ken Paxton following a federal investigation into corruption allegations made by former aides
Cornyn Trump voting record
- ▪Despite his voting record, John Cornyn faced criticism for expressing public skepticism about Donald Trump's electability before the 2024 election
- ▪John Cornyn voted for all of Donald Trump's executive and judicial appointees during his first term, including Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh
- ▪During Donald Trump's first presidential term, Senator John Cornyn voted with the president's agenda more than 92% of the time
Republican primary polling data
- ▪A January 2025 University of Houston poll found 36% of GOP primary voters would "definitely consider" voting for Ken Paxton, compared to 32% for John Cornyn.
- ▪A February poll from the Texas Politics Project at UT Austin found Ken Paxton had 62% approval among conservative voters, versus 45% for John Cornyn
- ▪The same University of Houston poll found 19% of GOP voters said they "would never" vote for Ken Paxton, while 15% said the same for John Cornyn
Trump endorsement speculation
- ▪Donald Trump defended Ken Paxton during his 2023 impeachment, later claiming his "intervention" led to the acquittal
- ▪Whether former President Donald Trump will endorse a candidate is considered a major factor in the primary race
- ▪Ken Paxton is a close ally of Donald Trump, having led an unsuccessful legal challenge to the 2020 election results
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