Ken Paxton Announces Senate Candidacy, Challenging John Cornyn in Texas Republican Primary

AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has formally announced his bid for the U.S. Senate, completing the necessary paperwork to challenge incumbent senator John Cornyn for the Republican nomination.

John Cornyn, who was first elected to the Senate in 2002 and has held the position since, will face serious competition from Paxton, who has already begun to voice his criticisms against the senator. Paxton specifically targeted Cornyn’s recent vote to allocate $95 million in aid to foreign nations, including Israel.

In a social media post, Paxton also claimed that Cornyn is mobilizing significant financial resources to combat his candidacy.

The Republican primary election is set for March 3, 2026, and early indications suggest this will be a closely contested race between Paxton and Cornyn.