Sen. John Cornyn, AG Ken Paxton gear up for tight race in GOP Primary

AUSTIN, Texas – Incumbent Senator John Cornyn is gearing up for a tight race against Attorney General Ken Paxton in the GOP Primary.

On Wednesday, Sen. Cornyn visited Austin’s “Fed Supernova” Conference.

Sen. Cornyn speaks on campaign

Longtime U.S. Republican Senator John Cornyn made an appearance at Austin’s annual Fed Supernova Conference on Wednesday afternoon.

“One of the great things about Austin is it’s always been a technology hub,” Sen. Cornyn said.

This comes as Senator Cornyn gears up for reelection in the state’s 2026 GOP Senate primary against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

According to Emerson College’s most recent poll, it’s a dead heat.

“It’s no secret I was lagging,” Sen. Cornyn said.

The latest poll shows Cornyn leading by a slim 1% margin over Paxton, with 37% of voters saying they’re undecided.

“The challenge has always been that when you run for office every six years, people pretty much forget about what you’ve done,” Sen. Cornyn said.  “Part of my job is to remind them what I’ve done.”

Back in April, Paxton released campaign ads attacking the four-term Senator saying he “abandoned Trump.”

Paxton has criticized Cornyn’s support for a bipartisan gun safety bill enacted after the Uvalde school shooting, which killed 19 children and two teachers.

Cornyn maintains that, during Trump’s first term as President, he voted with him and more than 95% of the current Senators.

“There’s some flagrant disinformation out there suggesting I have not been supportive, which is not true,” Sen. Cornyn said.

Cornyn pulled no punches during Wednesday’s press conference, saying Paxton brings a few character issues to the race.

“The baggage he brings from an impeachment, from his best and brightest talent in his suing him in a whistleblower lawsuit,” Sen. Cornyn said.

Cornyn was referring to Paxton’s 2023 impeachment by the Texas House of Representatives on various charges including bribery and abuse of office.

Paxton was ultimately acquitted in his impeachment trial by the Texas Senate, restoring his position as Attorney General.

However, Cornyn still thinks the baggage is too much of an uphill climb for Paxton.

“This is going to be like an albatross around his neck in a general election,” Sen. Cornyn said. “I believe if he’s the nominee, he will lose to a Democrat.”

“If Ken Paxton is the nominee, Republicans will spend hundreds of millions of dollars to sure him up, to try and save him in probably what will be an unsuccessful effort,” Sen. Cornyn said.

Cornyn believes those fundraising efforts could be used in battleground states like Georgia, Michigan, and even New Hampshire.

President Trump has yet to endorse either candidate, but Cornyn is confident he’ll get the nod.

“I’ve told him (Trump) if he makes the endorsement, if he endorses me, the primary is over,” Sen. Cornyn said.

Should Cornyn secure his seat once more, it would mark his fifth term, making him the longest-serving U.S. Senator in Texas history.