Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has officially declared his candidacy for the U.S. Senate, setting the stage for a high-stakes Republican primary showdown with longtime incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in 2026. The announcement, first reported by Punchbowl News‘ John Bresnahan, confirms months of speculation within Texas political circles and marks the beginning of what is expected to be one of the most expensive and contentious Senate primaries of the election cycle.
Paxton’s decision to enter the race puts him directly in the path of Cornyn, a veteran Republican who has represented Texas in the Senate since 2002 and previously served as the state’s attorney general. The two have traded increasingly sharp barbs in recent months, signaling the intensity of the looming battle.
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Cornyn, who officially launched his re-election campaign last month, framed himself as a steadfast ally of President Donald Trump in his opening advertisement. “Senator John Cornyn is launching his 2026 re-election campaign. President Trump needs a battle-tested partner by his side in Washington. The radical left thinks they can flip Texas blue, but Texans have a message for them – come and take it,” the ad declared.
However, Paxton, who also claims loyalty to Trump, has attempted to outflank Cornyn on the right, portraying him as insufficiently aligned with the president and the conservative base. Cornyn, in turn, has pointed to Paxton’s legal troubles and controversial tenure as attorney general, including years of criminal accusations and ethical scandals.
Paxton, a firebrand figure in Republican politics, has gained notoriety for his aggressive stance on social issues and polarizing legal maneuvers. He has led efforts to shut down abortion providers in Texas, targeted state lawmakers involved in his impeachment proceedings in 2023, and filed a widely criticized lawsuit attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election—an effort backed by Trump but dismissed by the Supreme Court.
Despite these controversies, Paxton has remained popular among many grassroots conservatives in Texas and nationally, positioning himself as a champion of hardline values and an opponent of establishment Republicans like Cornyn.
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On the Democratic side, the field remains uncertain. The party has not won a statewide race in Texas since the 1990s but hopes to make gains despite a disappointing performance in the 2024 presidential election. Former Congressman Collin Allred, who previously challenged Sen. Ted Cruz, is among those rumored to be considering a run. As the 2026 campaign takes shape, the Paxton-Cornyn primary could become a defining clash over the future direction of the Texas GOP.
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