Paxton Ramps Up Campaign to Unseat Texas Sen. Cornyn

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is sharply escalating his challenge to four‑term Republican Sen. John Cornyn, launching his first large campaign rally and a four‑day tour across Texas as early voting for the March 3 GOP Senate primary begins Tuesday. After months of running a low‑visibility race and relying mainly on his high‑profile conservative lawsuits, Paxton is now airing TV ads that tie him closely to President Donald Trump and attacking fellow challenger Rep. Wesley Hunt in a bid to consolidate the anti‑Cornyn vote and avoid a May runoff. Despite facing millions in attack ads from Cornyn and national GOP allies who argue Cornyn is stronger in November, Paxton appears to be the primary’s front‑runner, leaning on his impeachment survival and reputation as a MAGA loyalist to overcome longstanding ethics and personal‑conduct questions. His allies’ strategy—hitting Hunt rather than Cornyn—signals they see Hunt as the principal obstacle to Paxton reaching the 50% threshold needed to win the nomination outright. The race has become one of the cycle’s most contentious Republican primaries and a key test of how far Trump‑aligned insurgents can go in dislodging entrenched Senate incumbents in red states.