There’s a civil war within the Republican party in Texas pitting the establishment against MAGA which could potentially result in the party losing a Senate seat in the Republican stronghold.
In Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton is challenging the state’s senior senator John Cornyn (R), who Paxton believes has “betrayed” Donald Trump.
Cornyn has been a target of MAGA every since he voted to support aid for Ukraine and a bipartisan gun reform bill in the wake of the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
Now it appears they are on the track to boot Cornyn.
A new poll from the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF) out on Monday shows Cornyn trailing Paxton by a whopping 16 points in the 2026 Republican Senate primary, 56%–40%, according to Punchbowl News.
If Rep. Wesley Hunt, who is considering a run joins the field, then Paxton leads with 44% to Cornyn’s 34% and Hunt at 19%.
Paxton was impeached by the Republican-controlled Texas House of Representatives in May 2023 on several charges including bribery, abuse of office, and obstruction of justice. He was later acquitted by the Republican-controlled state Senate.
While Paxton appears to be well on his way to winning the GOP primary, polling shows he is the weakest candidate in the general election in a year that is already shaping up to be brutal for Republicans.
In a general election contest against Democratic Rep. Colin Allred, who is considering a run, Paxton trails by 1 point. He is the only candidate trailing Allred. Cornyn leads Allred by 6 points and Hunt is ahead of the Democratic congressman by 4 points.
“Texans only need one quick look at Paxton’s record before his support plummets,” SLF Communications Director Chris Gustafson said. “It‘s clear he would risk delivering the Senate majority to Chuck Schumer.”
Trump has remained silent so far, but Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has reportedly been encouraging him to back the incumbents, not only in Texas but in North Carolina where MAGA is also targeting Sen. Thom Tillis.
“I think the president’s got his own timetable, but obviously we’re consulting with him and his team, and trying to ensure that we have the best candidates on the field that we think are going to be successful, not only in primary elections, but in general elections,” Thune said, according to Axios.
“I just think for him it’s a function of, in some cases, in some of the states, he’s not ready to move yet.”
