Cornyn’s campaign quickly responded to the announcement of Paxton’s Senate bid.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on April 8 that he will run for the U.S. Senate in the 2026 primary to challenge fellow Republican Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), who is currently serving his fourth term.
“It’s official. I’m running for U.S. Senate to fight for President Trump’s agenda and take a sledgehammer to the D.C. establishment,” he
stated on social media platform X.
Paxton, 62, also unveiled his Senate campaign
website, where he described himself as “a loyal supporter” of President Donald Trump and “a staunch supporter of the America First movement.”
The website states that both Trump and Paxton “have been targeted in politically motivated witch hunts” and that Paxton will support Trump’s legislative priorities, including reducing taxes and securing the border.
“There are too many establishment politicians who have spent decades in Washington ignoring the people they’re supposed to represent,” Paxton’s website states. “They care more about lobbyists and special interests than their own constituents, and our country deserves better.”
Cornyn’s campaign quickly responded to Paxton’s Senate bid, calling him “a fraud” and citing his impeachment trial. The Epoch Times reached out to Paxton for comment but did not receive a response by publication time.
“This will be a spirited campaign and we assure Texans they will have a real choice when this race is over,” Cornyn’s campaign team
stated on social media.
His campaign stated that Texas needs “a battle-tested conservative” who can protect Trump’s agenda in the Senate and ensure that he “won’t be outsmarted by [Senate minority leader] Chuck Schumer.”
The two Texas Republicans have sparred over several issues. In 2024, Paxton
criticized Cornyn for backing a $95 billion foreign aid package aimed at bolstering support for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan. Cornyn later
responded by accusing Paxton of “pushing Russian propaganda.”
Paxton has also criticized Cornyn’s support for a federal bipartisan gun law that was enacted in 2022, following the Uvalde, Texas, elementary school shooting that left 19 children and two teachers dead.
Cornyn, 73, was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002 and has said he is planning to seek a fifth term. In November 2024, he
lost to Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) in the race to succeed Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) as the Senate Republican leader.
Paxton was impeached by the Texas GOP-led House in 2023 on allegations of bribery and abuse of power but was later
acquitted on all 16 articles.
On April 4, a state trial court judge
awarded a combined $6.6 million to four former aides who sued Paxton after being fired for reporting to the FBI that he was using his office to accept bribes, an allegation that Paxton has denied. Paxton’s office said it will appeal the ruling.
Trump has previously expressed support for both Paxton and Cornyn, and it remains uncertain who he will back in this race. Democrats have not won a Senate race in Texas since 1988.
Reuters contributed to this report.
