Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launches primary challenge against Sen. John Cornyn

By 
 April 9, 2025

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton was acquitted on 16 articles of impeachment in 2023 and avoided federal fraud charges last year by agreeing to pay $300,000 in restitution.

Paxton is hoping to follow those victories up with another win by challenging Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn for his seat. 

Paxton: "It's time for a change in Texas"

According to Fox News, Paxton made the announcement during an interview on Tuesday evening with host Laura Ingraham, saying, "It's time for a change in Texas."

"It's time that we have another great senator that will actually stand up and fight for Republican values, fight for the values of the people of Texas and also support Donald Trump in the areas that he's focused on in a very significant way," the attorney general added.

Fox News recalled how Paxton has long been critical of Cornyn, referencing the senator's initial opposition to President Donald Trump in 2016 and lack of support for Trump's border wall.

"I can’t think of a single thing he’s accomplished for our state or even for the country," Fox News quoted Paxton as saying in September of 2023."Somebody needs to step up and run against this guy."

Analyst says primary race could be "the most expensive" in Texas history

Fox News noted how some Republicans have expressed concern that Paxton's effort at challenging Cornyn will sap the party of valuable resources, a fear which GOP strategist Dave Carney lent credence to.

Carney predicted in an interview with Fox News that a contest between Paxton and Cornyn will "be a brutal battle" as well as "the most expensive primary in Texas."

Nor will that be the Republican Party's only internal conflict in the Lone Star State, as Paxton's departure from office also "opens up the attorney general’s race."

Carney pointed out that "[t]here will probably be a very competitive primary for that and we’re going to have a lot of musical chairs down ballot."

Strategist: Paxton "needs the maximum time possible to try to raise money"

Veteran Republican strategist and communications consultant Matt Mackowiak offered a similar assessment, saying that "this is going to be the most expensive, nastiest, most aggressive, most personal U.S. Senate primary in Texas history."

"You have two candidates who are going to raise significant funds, who are in significant positions, who do not like each and have not liked each other, whose teams do not like each other and the stakes could not be higher," he stressed.

"This says two things. One, Paxton sees an opportunity. And two, him getting in this early shows he needs the maximum time possible to try to raise money," Mackowiak added.

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