Texas’s hard-right attorney general Ken Paxton says he is running against Senator Cornyn in the 2026 GOP primary after years of fighting with his state’s senior senator. Mr. Cornyn has brushed off the challenge, saying Mr. Paxton is a fraud and a philanderer unworthy of Texans’ trust. 

Mr. Paxton won the love of many conservatives in 2020 when he filed a lawsuit at the Supreme against Pennsylvania seeking to overturn the results of the election — something Mr. Cornyn did not support. 

The two have been feuding for years, with Mr. Paxton describing his senator as insufficiently conservative and Mr. Cornyn calling the attorney general a fraud. 

Mr. Paxton has faced countless legal issues over the years, including being impeached by the Texas House of Representatives and being indicted by the state government for financial crimes — charges which were later dropped. When Mr. Paxton wrote on X that Mr. Cornyn should not be elected to serve as Republican leader in the Senate and that he should lose reelection in 2026, Mr. Cornyn shot back: “Hard to run from prison, Ken.”

On his campaign website, which went live on Tuesday night, Mr. Paxton mentions President Trump ten times in a clear attempt to curry favor with the White House. 

“Ken Paxton has always been a loyal supporter of President Trump and a staunch supporter of the America First movement. Both President Trump and Ken Paxton have been targeted in politically motivated witch hunts because there’s nothing that scares the establishment more than courageous conservatives who never back down from standing up for the American people,” Mr. Paxton’s website states. 

Not only was Mr. Paxton indicted on charges of securities fraud, but he also faced a political investigation by the state legislature. In 2023, he was impeached by the house for taking bribes, using his office to benefit a campaign donor, and abusing his power to retaliate against whistleblowers. He was acquitted by the state senate, though during the trial, his wife — a member of the chamber — was required to sit through testimony about his alleged extramarital affair.

Mr. Cornyn’s campaign did not hold back against Mr. Paxton in a statement. 

“Ken Paxton is a fraud,” the campaign staff said. “He says his impeachment trial was a sham but he didn’t contest the facts in legal filings which will cost the state millions. He says he’s anti-woke but he funnels millions of taxpayer dollars to lawyers who celebrate DEI. And Ken claims to be a man of faith but uses fake Uber accounts to meet his girlfriend and deceive his family.”

With Democrats looking to capitalize on the historical trend of the opposition party sweeping through Washington in the first midterm elections of a new president’s administration, a nasty GOP Texas primary — which could cost as much as $100 million depending on who else gets in the race — could buoy the out-of-power party. Texas is one of only three really conceivable pick-up opportunities for Democrats next year, and it’s likely they’ll take a shot at it if Mr. Paxton succeeds in winning the primary. 

Congressman Colin Allred — the Democratic candidate for Senate last year, who outran Vice President Harris by more than five points — is reportedly considering another run, according to the Dallas Morning News. 

Mr. Paxton’s first Senate ad featured Mr. Trump prominently, as well as past criticisms that the incumbent senator had made. Mr. Cornyn called the border wall along the entire Mexican-American border unrealistic at one point, and talked about the necessity of a comprehensive immigration deal that would create a pathway to citizenship for migrants. 

“John Cornyn turned his back on President Trump,” the new ad states. 

“Unless you can win an election, you’re pretty much irrelevant,” Mr. Cornyn says in a clip from 2023 featured in the video talking about Mr. Trump’s prospect of being the GOP nominee in 2024. 

Mr. Cornyn is not the only Senate Republican facing a primary challenge from the right next year, which could cost the Senate GOP’s campaign arm significant resources that could be better spent on winning the general elections. 

Senator Cassidy is trailing his primary opponent, Louisiana treasurer John Fleming, according to recent polling. Senator Tillis — one of the most vulnerable Senate Republicans — is in a dead-heat for the GOP nomination in North Carolina, where he is likely to face a challenge from Michele Morrow, a conservative activist who lost the statewide race to be the superintendent of the state’s school system last year.