Sen. John Cornyn officially launches reelection campaign
WASHINGTON - Sen. John Cornyn will officially run for reelection, his campaign announced on X, formerly Twitter, Wednesday.
The Texas Republican will be seeking his sixth term in the Senate.
What they're saying:
"President Trump needs a battle-tested partner by his side in Washington," Cornyn's campaign said. "The radical left thinks they can flip Texas blue, but Texans have a message for them – come and take it."
Cornyn's reelection campaign may have to survive a challenge from his own party.
Attorney General Ken Paxton responded to the senator's announcement by suggesting Cornyn is working against the Trump presidency, further fueling the rumors that Paxton could challenge Cornyn for the Republican nomination.
"Are you delusional?," Paxton said on X. "Texans won't believe your lies or forget how you've consistently worked to undermine the President."
Will Ken Paxton challenge Cornyn in 2026?
Paxton has not officially announced a campaign to challenge Cornyn in the 2026 Senate primaries, though he's dropped several hints before Wednesday.
Last month, Paxton did an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson where he said he still hasn't decided if he'll run a primary campaign against incumbent Cornyn.
"I don't know if I'm running for sure. I'm looking at it," Paxton said. "Probably in the next few months I'll be talking to people around the state."
A February poll by the University of Houston showed a slight edge for Cornyn with 75% of potential voters saying they consider voting for him versus 68% of voters saying they would consider Paxton.
READ MORE: 2026 US Senate: What new poll shows about possible Ken Paxton, John Cornyn race
Paxton has hinted at a possible Senate run since he was acquitted in his 2023 impeachment trial.
Cornyn spoke out against Paxton ahead of the political trial, saying he was troubled by the allegations against the attorney general.
Ken Paxton impeachment trial cost taxpayers $5.1M, state audit finds
A state audit of the Ken Paxton impeachment trial shows 86% of expenses in the trial came from contracted services such as attorneys and investigators.
After his acquittal, Paxton turned his sights against Cornyn.
Paxton has consistently referred to Cornyn as a RINO, or a "Republican in name only."
John Cornyn
Cornyn has not lost an election in Texas.
He was elected to the Texas Supreme Court in 1990, won an attorney general race in 1998 and then defeated a crowded field to become US Senator in 2002.
READ MORE: Senator John Cornyn joins new Senate DOGE caucus
While in the Senate, Cornyn has served as both the majority and minority whip. He is currently the chair of the Senate Narcotics Caucus.
In recent months, he has also been a vocal supporter of Trump’s Cabinet picks and has slammed Democrats for delaying confirmations for key positions. In a speech on the Senate floor last month, he said, "Our first and most urgent task is to confirm President Trump's nominees for his Cabinet."
2026 Elections
What's next:
The 2026 elections will be important in Texas.
In addition to voting for US Senate, Texans will have an opportunity to vote for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, among several other positions.
Primary elections will be held in March with runoff elections in May.
The Source: Information on Cornyn's reelection announcement comes from the TeamCornyn X account, Ken Paxton's response comes via X. Information on polling numbers and Paxton's earlier comments come from previous FOX reporting.