Sen. John Cornyn Launches Texas Re-Election Campaign Amid Potential Republican Primary Challenge

Mar 26, 2025

Sen. John Cornyn has launched his 2026 reelection campaign in Texas, positioning himself as a key ally for Donald Trump. The announcement drew immediate fire from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is weighing a primary challenge and called Cornyn "delusional." The intra-party feud is fueled by Cornyn's past support for a gun safety bill and his criticism of Paxton during his 2023 impeachment trial.

Cornyn reelection campaign launch

▪John Cornyn's campaign announced on X that "President Trump needs a battle-tested partner by his side in Washington."
▪John Cornyn has never lost an election in Texas, having been elected to the state Supreme Court in 1990, as attorney general in 1998, and to the U.S. Senate in 2002.
▪Sen. John Cornyn officially launched his 2026 reelection campaign on March 26, 2025, seeking a sixth term in the U.S. Senate.

Hunt statewide profile-building efforts

▪U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt, a potential Senate candidate, has not announced a run but is increasing his name recognition with statewide ads.
▪A social welfare organization called Standing for Texas launched a seven-figure ad buy praising U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt as an "America-first Republican."

Potential Republican primary challengers

▪Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is considering a primary challenge against Cornyn and has consistently called him a RINO ("Republican in name only").
▪Responding to Cornyn's campaign launch, Ken Paxton called him "delusional" on X and accused him of consistently working to undermine President Trump.
▪A February University of Houston poll indicated 75% of potential voters would consider voting for Cornyn, compared to 68% for Paxton.

Cornyn's Trump alignment record

▪During Donald Trump's first term, John Cornyn served as Republican whip and voted with Trump's legislative agenda over 92% of the time.
▪John Cornyn's campaign video states he delivered votes for Trump's "biggest wins" and aims to "pick up where we left off."

Gun safety bill backlash

▪John Cornyn faced backlash from Texas Republicans for his role in passing a bipartisan gun safety bill, with critics accusing him of capitulating on gun control.
▪Ken Paxton's animosity towards John Cornyn grew after Cornyn expressed being troubled by the allegations against Paxton ahead of his 2023 impeachment trial.