“I have a 99.2% alignment with President Trump in my voting record. Period,” Cornyn told the Washington Examiner in a series of brief interviews at the Capitol. “I don’t know what else I could say to elaborate on that.”

The Paxton team sees this flex as a temporary pivot based on Cornyn’s pattern of working across the aisle and, at times, staking out positions that contrast with Trump.

“It doesn’t matter,” a Paxton campaign adviser told the Washington Examiner. “Okay, you voted for Trump’s nominees. Cornyn is going to go back to being a moderate because he’s been moderate for the last 20 years in the Senate.”

Paxton declined to be interviewed for this story.

The race is shaping up to be one of the most divisive and expensive GOP primary contests of the 2026 cycle. Both Texas staples are gunning for a Trump endorsement that could punch their ticket to the general election in a “likely Republican” seat.

The Cornyn campaign’s accounting of more than 1,500 votes since 2017 shows that his positions have aligned with Trump’s more than 99% of the time. It also calculated that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), often portrayed in media as more conservative, is at just under 97%.

Analysis of the previous Congress, which ran from January 2023 to January 2025, by nonpartisan govtrack.us shows Cornyn’s ideology as middle of the pack among Senate Republicans based on the bills he has sponsored and co-sponsored. He was among the most effective and bipartisan legislators, leading Republicans with the most laws enacted and the most bills that included a Democratic co-sponsor.

A former senior Senate GOP leadership aide, who was not authorized to speak publicly in their current role, said Cornyn’s hurdle is style rather than substance.

“He votes with Trump 99% of the time. He’s not out there trying to be a social media star,” they said. “He’s focused on passing legislation, not racking up clicks.”

Cornyn, in recent months, has leaned into high-profile issues that have caught the eyes of MAGA-world, such as leading the call for a special counsel to investigate new claims by the Trump administration that former President Barack Obama sought to undermine Trump’s presidency with manufactured Russian collusion intelligence.

In June, Cornyn led a hearing on allegations that former White House officials concealed Biden’s supposed mental decline in office and unlawfully authorized executive actions in his name. However, it did less to uncover new information with mixed attendance and no star witnesses, and did more to lay the groundwork for other GOP-led investigations.

Cornyn has also called for an “Alligator Alcatraz” facility in Texas, introduced legislation supporting Trump’s airstrikes against Iran that are “worthy of consideration for the Nobel Peace Prize,” and included measures in Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act to reimburse Texas for border security and ban federal funding for gender transition procedures.

Opponents such as Paxton fault Cornyn for episodes like when he expressed doubt in Trump’s ability to win the 2024 election, crafting a bipartisan gun control package after the Uvalde school shooting, and questioning the need for a wall across the entire U.S.-Mexico border.

“Attorney General Paxton, a longtime proven ally and loyalist to President Trump, is leading by over 20 points,” the Paxton adviser said. “John Cornyn has sided with Democrats on lawfare, cut a gun deal with Biden, and opposed building the wall.”

Cornyn said he’s not had any recent conversations with Trump about an endorsement.

“If you think Cornyn hasn’t been Trumpy enough, then we’re arguing about 0.8% of votes,” a Cornyn adviser said. “I realize he may not be the style of every single activist … but the advantages of that style is that he can be very effective legislatively.”

Cornyn leans on party establishment as Paxton tests MAGA loyalty

Republicans in Washington know Cornyn, whom the Senate GOP’s campaign arm is vociferously backing, could be in trouble. Behind the scenes, pressure is mounting on the White House to intervene in an increasingly bitter primary clash.

Cornyn, a fixture of the GOP establishment and a four-term incumbent, and Paxton, who’s cast himself as a stronger MAGA loyalist, are actively courting Trump in a race he’s so far stayed publicly neutral on.

“In a way, I wish they weren’t running against each other,” Trump told reporters in April. “I’ll make a decision somewhere along the line.”

However, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, chaired by Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and backed by Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), is leaving no doubt where it stands. It’s all in for Cornyn, who once led the group himself, among other past leadership posts.

The NRSC has pummeled Paxton over alleged improprieties in his duties and personal life. In a text blast, the group accused Paxton’s office of keeping an alleged sex trafficker out of jail and off the sex offender registry, calling it a “total failure.”

A recent divorce filing from Paxton’s wife, Texas state Sen. Angela Paxton (R), fueled the fire. She accused him of adultery and cited “biblical grounds” for dissolving the marriage, reigniting long-standing allegations of infidelity and misconduct.

In an unusually personal attack, the NRSC condemned Paxton’s treatment of his family as “truly repulsive and disgusting.” A senior NRSC official said bluntly, “We’re not pulling punches. We’re doing everything we can to make sure Republican voters understand what’s at stake here.”

The Paxton adviser downplayed the filing’s effect.

“It doesn’t play in the race. It’s unfortunate,” they said. “It shouldn’t surprise anyone — we’ve said they’ve been separated for a very long time,” they added, noting that the divorce filing coincided with the campaign’s second-best fundraising day.

Adding to the controversy, the Associated Press revealed that Paxton and his wife claimed three Texas properties as their “primary residence,” a move that can help secure better mortgage terms but may violate lending laws. Cornyn’s campaign was quick to cut a digital ad comparing Paxton’s actions to those of New York Attorney General Letitia James and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA). It cast him as part of the very swamp he claims to oppose.

The Texas senator called the report “explosive” in a recent exchange with reporters, in which he was asked whether his political opponent should be investigated.

“When the chief law enforcement officer is breaking the law, who enforces it?” Cornyn said. “In this case, it’s probably the feds.”

Paxton’s team has brushed off the personal attacks, insisting voters are focused on his record rather than his private life.

“Ken Paxton has stood up to the Biden administration, fought for border security, and delivered real wins for Texas conservatives,” the campaign adviser said. “That’s what matters in this race.”

The attorney general has remained a force in Texas politics despite a string of legal, political, and personal challenges. He was acquitted in a state Senate impeachment trial tied to a federal inquiry into whistleblower allegations of bribery and abuse of office. He also avoided a felony securities fraud trial by striking a deal with prosecutors last year, surviving both that case and years of scrutiny over the charges.

Cornyn and his team have cast Paxton as morally disqualified, emphasizing his legal troubles and what they describe as an ethically compromised record unfitting for Congress.

“[Paxton] is the most unethical political figure in Texas in at least three decades, maybe ever,” the Cornyn adviser said.

Cornyn trounced in polls as GOP fears Paxton could endanger seat

Paxton has held a commanding polling lead for months, fueling concern among national Republicans that his nomination could give Democrats a stronger shot at flipping a longtime red seat. A Democrat hasn’t been elected to the Senate in Texas since 1988.

“It is only competitive if Ken Paxton is the nominee,” a GOP operative said. “The problem is that [he] makes it more expensive and it could risk resources that should be diverted to other states like Michigan, Georgia, Maine, or North Carolina.”

Cornyn’s team privately acknowledges that he’s trailing Paxton and attributes it to an inaccurate perception problem with parts of the GOP base.

“We believe we’re behind, but we would debate to what extent we’re behind. This feels to us like a single-digit race right now,” the Cornyn adviser said. “We obviously need to make sure that Republican primary voters in Texas understand what Sen. Cornyn’s actual record is, not what some paid influencer said it is.”

Cornyn allies are working behind the scenes to win Trump’s endorsement. A Republican operative familiar with the discussions said the White House wants to see Cornyn close the polling gap before the president is willing to get involved.

“[Cornyn] needs to demonstrate he will be able to win this primary and not embarrass the White House,” the operative said.

In an attempt to diffuse the bruising primary, Trump is weighing a role for Paxton in the administration. A source close to Trump said nothing was finalized but acknowledged such an offer was possible. Paxton’s team rejected the notion, insisting the candidate would stay in the race.

His influence over Republican primaries remains strong, as recently demonstrated when Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI) opted not to run for Michigan’s open Senate seat after speaking with Trump and months of pressure from Republican leaders to stand down against a preferred candidate, former Rep. Mike Rogers. The president also made waves in North Carolina by endorsing Michael Whatley, the RNC chairman, effectively clearing the primary field.

“[Cornyn] believes if Trump endorsed him, the race would be over,” the Cornyn adviser said. “Certainly, we are soliciting and seeking that support.”

TEXAS DEMOCRATS LOOK FORWARD TO ‘VERY FUN TIMES’ IF PAXTON CHALLENGES CORNYN’S SENATE SEAT

Still, Paxton is more aligned with the MAGA firebrand base, and a network of pro-Trump influencers has been hammering Cornyn online for months. They are betting that Trump will eventually side with their candidate.

“John Cornyn is the [Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)] candidate who said President Trump’s ‘time had passed,’” the Paxton adviser said.