Fresh from the dramatic stage of an impeachment acquittal, the Texas Attorney General, Ken Paxton, has sent shockwaves across the Lone Star State with his boldest hint yet at a potential primary challenge against incumbent Senator John Cornyn, who faces reelection in 2026.
In a no-holds-barred interview with Tucker Carlson, Paxton laid his cards on the table, leveling blistering criticism at Cornyn’s lengthy tenure in Washington. “To me, he’s been in Washington too long. He’s been there, what, for 14 years or so? And I can’t think of a single thing he’s accomplished for our state or even for the country,” Paxton declared, firing a salvo that resonated with the political thunderclap.
When pressed about the possibility of running, Paxton’s response was resounding: “Everything’s on the table for me.” With fire in his eyes, he emphasized, “I think it’s time somebody needs to step up and run against this guy that will do the job and do it the right way and represent us and worry about what’s going on.”
The prospect of an epic clash between these two Texan titans has sent shockwaves through the nation’s largest Republican Party. The animosity between the two is no secret; their feud has played out in public forums. Cornyn, a former Texas attorney general himself, did not mince words during Paxton’s 2022 reelection campaign, labeling his legal battles an “embarrassment” and doubling down on those comments during Paxton’s recent impeachment trial.
Paxton, on his part, has not held back, portraying the senator as a relic of a bygone era. He accused Cornyn of being a product of former President George W. Bush’s influence, which had turned Texas’s Republican Party into a formidable machine.
Both Paxton and Cornyn command considerable political clout in Texas. Paxton boasts the formidable backing of Donald Trump and a host of conservative heavyweights. His legal battles against the Biden administration, spanning immigration to federal spending, have kept him in the national spotlight. Meanwhile, Cornyn’s leadership positions in the Senate make him a potential successor to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
This year, Paxton faced perhaps the most critical challenge of his political career when the Texas House moved to remove him from office over allegations of misconduct and bribery. However, the Texas Senate’s recent acquittal has catapulted him back into the limelight as the state’s top legal official. Yet, Paxton remains in the crosshairs of a felony fraud case and a federal investigation, adding a layer of drama to the unfolding political saga.
