Cornyn, Paxton Clash in Texas Senate Primary Amid Poll Results

AUSTIN, Texas — Tensions are escalating between Senator John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton as they vie for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. A new poll has revealed Cornyn trailing Paxton by 16 percentage points, with Paxton receiving 56% support compared to Cornyn’s 40%, according to Punchbowl News, which first reported the findings from the Senate Leadership Fund.

Houston-area Congressman Wesley Hunt is reportedly considering joining the primary. When Hunt’s name was included in the poll, Paxton’s lead over Cornyn narrowed significantly. The updated results showed Paxton at 44%, Cornyn at 34%, and Hunt at 19%.

The poll, conducted between April 27 and May 1, also assessed potential outcomes for a general election. It suggested Cornyn would defeat former Democratic Congressman Colin Allred by six percentage points, while Hunt holds a slight one percentage point lead over Allred. Paxton, however, trails Allred by one percentage point.

In a recent post on X regarding the polling results, Cornyn remarked, “His lead is shrinking, and the battle has just begun! He must be getting nervous.” Paxton shot back with a post of his own, saying, “Imagine being delusional enough to celebrate a poll showing you down 16 points after being in office for 40 years.”

Cornyn quickly countered, pointing out, “By the way, the poll shows you losing to a Democrat in November.” Paxton responded with a reference to former President Trump, saying, “You said the same thing about President Trump – we saw how that went for you.”

Earlier this month, Cornyn expressed concerns to reporters about a previous internal poll indicating he was trailing Paxton. He voiced worry that if Paxton becomes the Republican nominee, it could lead to a Democratic victory. “The last thing we need to do is provide an opportunity for Democrats to get a beachhead in Texas,” Cornyn stated. “Depending on how the primary turns out, that could happen. That would be the end of Texas being red.”

Last month, Congressman Hunt drew attention during a visit to New Hampshire when asked about possibly entering the race. He replied, “If opportunities present themselves that would make it palatable for me to run, I would absolutely consider it.” The Republican primary is set to take place in March. Both former Democratic Congressman Colin Allred and Beto O'Rourke have indicated they are contemplating running for the same seat.