Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) is making it clear that he wants Texas Senator John Cornyn (R) out of the senate.
Attorney General Paxton recently spoke to Denton County GOP members, listing off GOP members he believes are insufficiently conservative. Among the list was Senator Cornyn, who the attorney general suggested is a top target for removal.
"The second thing we need to do, and I might play a role in this, is replace John Cornyn in the U.S. Senate," Attorney General Paxton told his fellow Republicans.
The rivalry between both Republicans is not new. In a September 2023 interview with Fox News, Paxton questioned Senator Cornyn's contributions while in office, expressing that the Texas senator has been ineffective.
"I can't think of a single thing he's accomplished for our state or even for the country," Paxton said. "Somebody needs to step up and run against this guy."
He has called Senator Cornyn a "RINO," and he is expected to announce his 2026 senatorial run soon.
Republicans in Texas are divided as a faction of GOP Members are accusing their Republican colleagues of choosing power over conservative principles. Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R) has faced backlash for this reason.
After securing the speakership with the support of 31 Republicans and 62 Democrats, Speaker Burrows, who Attorney General Paxton campaigned against, has been accused of empowering Democrats at the expense of the Republican agenda.
As far as 2026 is concerned, Senator Cornyn has confirmed that he will "absolutely" run for reelection, but how would he fare in a race against Paxton?
According to Matt Mackowiak, a veteran Republican strategist and communications consultant, it comes down to one thing.
"The big question is whether Trump would support Paxton over Cornyn in a primary challenge," he told Fox News Digital. "Cornyn's never lost a race. Cornyn has a lot of support around the state. He’s traveled all corners of the state for a long time and is very well known and very well liked."