GOP primary race between Cornyn, Paxton for U.S. Senate could be highest-profile Texas political fight since 2010
Texas Sen. John Cornyn launched his 2026 re-election campaign nearly one year before the primary. He could face his toughest political test if Attorney General Ken Paxton decides to jump into the race.
One conservative political consultant, Matt Mackowiak said he wouldn't be surprised to see Paxton announce an exploratory committee. That would allow him to raise money, hire staff, and rack up endorsements.
This could be the biggest GOP political battle since 2010 when Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison challenged Governor Rick Perry.
In his campaign video, Cornyn said he helped pass President Donald Trump's agenda for the first term and will do so again now in his second term.
The video plays a portion of the speech the president gave in El Paso in 2019 in which he thanked both Cornyn and Sen.Ted Cruz.
"Now, I'm running for re-election and asking for your support so President Trump and I can pick up where we left off," Cornyn said in the video.
After Cornyn released this video, Paxton fired off a post on X that reads, "You've constantly turned your back on Texans and President Trump, including trying to stop his campaign in 2024 and saying his 'time has passed him by.'"
"If Paxton were to challenge Cornyn, it would be the most serious primary he's ever faced," Mackowiak told CBS News Texas. "Period. Full stop."
Mackowiak said a potential primary challenge by Paxton prompted Cornyn to launch his reelection bid nearly one year before the primary.
The big unknown that could have a Texas-sized impact on the primary he said is Mr. Trump.
"Is President Trump going to endorse Paxton? Is he going to endorse Cornyn? Is he not going to endorse at all? Those are the three choices, and I suspect he won't make a decision until later this year if he makes a decision at all," said Mackowiak.
Cornyn endorsed Mr. Trump after the New Hampshire primary early last year, but months before that, raised concerns about his chances in the general election.
"He's going to have to defend and explain a lot of that," Mackowiak said. "He's already started. He went on activist Michael Quinn Sullivan's podcast."
The Dallas Morning News reports former Democratic Congressman Colin Allred from Dallas is now seriously considering running against Cornyn. Allred lost to Cruz in November by nine points.
Responding to a potential Allred campaign, Cornyn said on X, "Come and take it, Colin."
"Good luck with your primary, John," Allred fired back.
Matt Angle, a Democratic political consultant, told CBS News Texas the party has a number of potential candidates.
"It wouldn't surprise me if Colin Allred takes another look at it," said Angle. "Roland Guiterrez could also take a look at it. I know that a lot of people have talked up and I'm very impressed to have been since the day he got elected, Nathan Johnson is a State Senator out of Dallas. And then also James Talarico, very talented young State Representative out of Austin."
Angle said while the party won't have a problem recruiting a qualified candidate to run, Democrats still face a serious challenge.
"The real challenge for Democrats is coming up with the resources that it takes in order to build the organization and to promote our candidate," said Angle. "That's been our real handicap."
Democrats have not won a statewide race in Texas in more than three decades.
Watch Eye On Politics at 7:30 Sunday morning on CBS News Texas on air and streaming
