Ken Paxton launches the Senate Main Challenge against Senator John Cornyn

By Nadia Lathan, Associated Press

Austin, Texas (AP) – The Attorney General of Texas Ken Paxton presents himself for the American Senate in a main challenge against the Republican senator John Cornyn, setting up what is likely to become one of the most controversial and controversial competitions of the GOP of 2026.

Paxton, a close ally of President Donald Trump, announced his decision on Tuesday in an interview with Laura Ingraham from Fox News after spending more than a year openly flirting with a challenge from the Senate. Meanwhile, Paxton sought to position himself as a national leader among the ascendancy of the GOP, hard on the right, launching some of the first criminal surveys in the United States on abortions and the care affirmed by the sexes for young transgender people.

Originally published: April 8, 2025 at 5:08 p.m.