Potential 2026 primary battle between TX AG Ken Paxton, Sen. John Cornyn taking shape

Texas Sen. John Cornyn recently lost his bid to become Senate majority leader, coming up short against South Dakota's John Thune, but it now looks like he might have another difficult fight looming on the horizon.

As the Dallas Morning News reports, Republicans in the Lone Star State may be in for a primary battle royale, should state Attorney General Ken Paxton follow through on prior threats to challenge Cornyn for his Senate seat in 2026.

Primary battle potential looms large

Tensions between Paxton and Cornyn have been brewing for at least a year, with political observers wondering whether the rancor will eventually make its way to a primary ballot come midterm season.

Paxton enjoys the support of the GOP's conservative base, while Cornyn has the advantage of prolific fundraising abilities and the natural benefits of incumbency.

A battle between the two would encapsulate what many view as a broader struggle to define the future of the Republican Party – a fight between Trump-loyal conservatives such as Paxton and the more moderate, establishment-friendly wing of the GOP.

Political consultant Vinny Minchillo, a veteran of Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, weighed in on the prospect of a matchup, saying, “If Paxton gets in, expect another real donnybrook in the primary.”

He added, “We have the Democratic Party and we have the two halves of the Republican Party This would be the real throwdown between the two halves of the Republican Party.”

Rivals' rhetoric ramps up

Paxton's critiques of Cornyn, who was elected to the upper chamber in 2002, are nothing new, as Politico has noted in the past.

“To me, he's been in Washington too long. He's been there, what, for 14 years or so? And I can't think of a single thing he's accomplished for our state or even for the country,” Paxton said of his potential rival last year.

Paxton continued, “Everything's on the table for me. I think it's time somebody needs to step up and run against this guy that will do the job and do it the right way and represent us and worry about what's going on.”

Cornyn has had his own clashes with Paxton in recent years, taking aim at the Texas AG amid corruption allegations and an eventual – though unsuccessful – impeachment in the state legislature.

After Paxton slammed Cornyn for what he said was his “anti-Trump anti-gun positions and suggested he could mount a primary challenged, the senator shot back, “Hard to run from prison, Ken,” offering a flavor of the hard-fought, bare-knuckles political brawl that may lie ahead.