Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has officially entered the race for U.S. Senate. His Wednesday announcement comes to no surprise, since the state’s top prosecutor initially declared his intentions back in April, when he released an ad attacking Republican incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.
Paxton is framing himself as the most conservative candidate in the field, a strategy he believes will be a winning move in aRepublican-dominated state like Texas.
“Come next year, we are going to send John Cornyn packing and win this race,” Paxton wrote on social media Wednesday.
Paxton will face off against Sen. Cornyn and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Houston during the Republican primaries on March 3, 2026.
Cornyn is currently serving his fourth six-year term as Texas’ senior U.S. Senator and has been in public office for more than 30 years. He served as an elected justice on the Texas Supreme Court from 1991 until 1997 and then as state attorney general from 1999 until 2002.
Paxton entered politics in 2003 as a member of the Texas House, where he served for a decade before serving one term in the state Senate. Paxton was elected Texas Attorney General in 2015 and has now held that position for a full decade.
During his time in elected office, Paxton has faced an unsuccessful impeachment attempt, multiple allegations of bribery, self-dealing and other corrupt acts but has never been convicted of a crime. Last year, Paxton cut a deal with state prosecutors to pay restitution and do community service in order to avoid standing trial on multiple felony fraud charges.
While Rep. Hunt declared his candidacy last month, Paxton is putting his focus squarely on Sen. Cornyn. He’s been trading jabs with the incumbent since April, when Paxton released his first campaign ad.
Given that, a hotly contested race is expected in the lead up to the March 2026 Republican primary.
The winner will face the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate on the ballot next November.