There’s more troubling news for Senator John Cornyn’s (R) reelection campaign as a new poll finds him trailing Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) by 22 points. The poll, which was conducted May 27th through the 28th by GOP pollster Robert Blizzard for the Educational Freedom Institute, shows Attorney General Paxton with 50% of support against Senator Cornyn’s 28%.
The results are alarming for the senator’s campaign given that he has served in the Senate since 2002. Only 27% of respondents said they wanted to see him re-elected, and 54% said they preferred someone new.
Senator Cornyn recently attributed his decline in support to “primarily name identification” in an interview with Inside Texas Politics with Jason Whitely. However, the poll numbers show a different story.
"CHARACTER STILL MATTERS"
U.S. Sen. @JohnCornyn says he will "eagerly" debate GOP challenger @KenPaxton. Both candidates vying for one thing that could dramatically change this race. #txlege
STORY: https://t.co/xZUqsYglTK pic.twitter.com/beh74eQE38
— Jason Whitely (@JasonWhitely) June 1, 2025
Only 7% of those surveyed said they had not heard of Senator Cornyn compared to the 5% who had not heard of Attorney General Paxton.
The poll also revealed that there’s a favorability gap.
Senator Cornyn’s favorability rating was 48% positive to 37% negative, and Attorney General Paxton’s stood at a much stronger 65% favorable to 22% unfavorable.
The new results show a staggering decline for Senator Cornyn’s campaign as a survey conducted earlier this year, which commissioned by the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC aligned with Republican leadership and backing Senator Cornyn, showed him trailing Attorney General Paxton by 16 points between April 27 and May 1.
The recent poll was commissioned by the Educational Freedom Institute, which is a nonprofit that advocates for school choice. The group is nonpartisan, and the poll’s findings add to the political momentum Attorney General Paxton has gained since overcoming an impeachment trial in the Texas Senate last year.
In his interview with Whitely, Senator Cornyn assured that he would "eagerly" debate Attorney General Paxton should the opportunity present itself.
