After months of generating speculation, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) has officially announced his campaign for the U.S. Senate, confirming a high-stakes 2026 Republican primary showdown with longtime Senator John Cornyn (R). The announcement is now followed by an endorsement from Texas Rep. Troy Nehls (R), who praised the attorney general as a “conservative warrior” and staunch defender of the “America First” agenda.
"John Cornyn has been in Washington for over two decades, and he has turned his back on President Trump and the America First agenda time after time," Attorney General Paxton said in a statement Tuesday evening, and an advertisement announcing his campaign set out to paint Senator Cornyn as an “anti-Trump” politician.
Shortly after the attorney general’s campaign launch, Rep. Nehls announced his endorsement.
I’m proud to endorse @KenPaxtonTX for U.S. Senate.
Ken Paxton is a conservative warrior who has always stood with President Trump and been a champion for the people of Texas.
He’s the fighter we need representing the state of Texas in the U.S. Senate!https://t.co/2RxEZa8ddW
— Troy Nehls (@SheriffTNehls) April 9, 2025
"I'm proud to be fully supporting and endorsing his campaign!" said Rep. Nehls. "Ken Paxton is a conservative warrior who has always stood with President Trump and been a champion for the people of Texas."
The Texas lawmaker went on to praise Attorney General Paxton’s track record in battling the Biden administration. “During Joe Biden’s disastrous presidency, Attorney General Paxton sued the Biden Administration over 100 times and secured major victories against Biden’s lawless, open borders policies.”
Senator Cornyn, who was first elected in 2002, responded to the Paxton campaign by calling the attorney general a “fraud” and defending his own record as a “battle-tested conservative.” He pointed to his past alignment with President Donald Trump (R), noting that he voted with the president more than 95% of the time during his first term.
Despite his voting record, Senator Cornyn faces increasing skepticism from grassroots conservatives.
A recent New York Times poll shows that Attorney General Paxton is leading Senator Cornyn by 25 points among Republican primary voters.
