Paxton frames Cornyn as establishment candidate in first rally
Texas Attorney general Ken Paxton used his first campaign rally to frame Sen. John Cornyn as the establishment candidate with an unconvincing record as early voting begins for the 2026 Texas GOP Senate primary. Paxton is mounting a challenge, alongside Rep. Wesley Hunt, to unseat Cornyn in a race that Paxton says will demand action on deficits, China, the judiciary, and Texas values. He contrasted his own record as consistently conservative and vowed to represent voters in Washington rather than be the establishment’s man. Cornyn, meanwhile, leads in fundraising and has spent more than $54 million on ads in the primary cycle; he finished Q4 2025 with about $15 million cash on hand. Paxton argued that much of Cornyn’s money comes from the D.C. establishment, and he declared he would not be that person. Former President donald Trump declined to endorse any candidate in the Texas primary, saying he supports all three contenders. A January Emerson College poll put paxton just ahead of Cornyn by 1 point, as the March 3 primary approaches and a runoff, if needed, could occur in May. The Democrats also face their own contest in Texas between Jasmine Crockett and james Talarico.
Paxton frames Cornyn as establishment candidate in first rally of campaign as early voting begins
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton came out swinging against Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) on Monday in his first rally since launching his primary Senate campaign, hitting Cornyn as an establishment candidate with an uncompelling record.
With early voting for Texas’s 2026 primary elections starting on Tuesday, Paxton is starting a series of in-person rallies as he steps up his efforts in his race to unseat four-term Cornyn. Both Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) are running in the GOP primary against Cornyn, who is seeking a fifth term in the U.S. Senate.
“We have so many issues that we need to deal with, from the deficit, to China, to better judges, to actually representing Texas values on the Second Amendment,” Paxton said during Monday’s rally. “Check my record from beginning to end, and it is consistently conservative on all of those issues. When I go to D.C., you’re going to get somebody that actually takes action, that actually looks out for you, that’s not just stuck in Washington, that actually cares about what you care about, because I am you.”
Without mentioning fellow primary challenger Hunt in his Monday evening speech, Paxton aimed his sights at Cornyn, who leads significantly in the fundraising aspect of the race and is spending big on negative advertisements against Paxton.
Cornyn broke his own fundraising record by the end of the fourth quarter of 2025, bringing his cash on hand to $15 million. Cornyn and his allies have spent over $54 million on advertisements in the primary campaign cycle for the race.
“I didn’t get 30 million from D.C. His money is coming from the D.C. establishment, and that’s how he can afford these commercials, and that’s how they always try to convince us, in Washington, with their money, that we should select their person,” Paxton said.
“I’m not their person, and I will never be their person. I’m going to stay here and fight for you all,” Paxton continued.
Cornyn’s campaign did not respond to the Washington Examiner’s requests for comment.
Cornyn’s campaign has portrayed the possibility of a Paxton primary win as a win for Democrats in the general election, due to his staunch conservative views and personal scandals. Democrats have a contested primary of their own, between Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) and Democratic state Rep. James Talarico.
President Donald Trump refused to endorse any of the three GOP candidates on Monday, saying Cornyn, Paxton, and Hunt have each earned his support.
TEXAS OPENS EARLY VOTING FOR COMPETITIVE PRIMARY RACES
“They’ve all supported me, they’re all good, and you’re supposed to pick one. So we’ll see what happens, but I support all three,” Trump said.
In the most recent Emerson College poll from January, Paxton led Cornyn by 1 point. The primary election is set for March 3, with a runoff, if necessary, likely in May.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
