We’re barely two months into President Donald Trump’s presidency and some political insiders are discussing the 2026 midterm elections. In Texas, one of the most heated races could turn out to be the U.S. Senate contest.
GOP Senator John Cornyn is seeking a fifth term. And recently, another Republican statewide officeholder has publicly inched towards getting in the race.
As of today, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton hasn’t launched a formal campaign. But last month, he told former Fox News host Tucker Carlson that he’s “looking” at running. During the interview, Paxton also said he didn’t know “for sure” if he’d join the race.
However, Paxton has been clear about his disapproval of Cornyn. During an interview with Punchbowl News earlier this week, the state attorney general spoke out against the incumbent senator.
“He’s had his chance. He hasn’t performed well, and the voters know it,” Paxton said during his interview with Punchbowl News.
Paxton has also fired off several tweets questioning Cornyn’s conservative credentials and loyalty to President Trump. Cornyn has responded in a few cases.
When KSAT sat down with Senator Cornyn for a wide-ranging interview last week, he responded to a question about Paxton’s comments and a potential race between the two.
“There’s a reason why I’ve been elected by large margins every time I’ve run for office. And that’s because the 31 million people in Texas know me... I do my best to be responsive to their needs... elections are all about competition. I’m not particularly concerned about that. If the time comes that this gentleman or anybody else decides to run, we’ll be ready for that and we’ll take our case to the voters,“ Senator Cornyn told KSAT.
KSAT also asked Senator Cornyn if he’s concerned about Paxton potentially getting an endorsement from President Trump. The senator responded, saying, “that’s not a given.”
See the full interview below.
A local political analyst said the matchup would be exciting to watch, since Paxton, a known MAGA loyalist, could be a formidable opponent in a Republican primary, which generally brings out the most conservative voters in the state.
“John Cornyn, some would say... he’s now a Washington insider, that he might be more of the problem than the solution. I can see Paxton in particular saying, ‘look, he’s a RINO,‘” said Jon Taylor, professor of political science and Chair of the Department of Political Science and Geography at UTSA.
The general election takes place Nov. 3, 2026.