Texas Republican Sen. John Cornyn appears to have wide support among Washington movers and shakers in his candidacy for Senate majority leader, but his home state of Texas could have the final say. There is sex.
Powerful and well-funded forces in Texas plan to challenge Cornyn for re-election in 2026, arguing that he represents a return to establishment politics.
The Daily Caller spoke to local elected officials, Republican candidates for office, and prominent political leaders and found that voters’ dissatisfaction with Cornyn’s performance in the Senate is tied to former President Donald Trump and Texas. They blamed Cornyn’s lack of support for conservative policies championed by Republicans. voters. That dissatisfaction could pose a deadly threat to his hopes of becoming the next Senate Majority Leader.
“Texans deserve a senator who will fight for them against the D.C. swamp. That’s why I want to make sure Texas can recall its senators if they misbehave. “We have introduced a bill to make this happen,” Republican Texas Representative Brian Harrison said in a statement to the Daily Caller. “I have heard from many voters that they are frustrated by Sen. Cornyn’s wholesale capitulation to the Democratic Party. I hope they will listen to your concerns.”
Mr. Harrison’s Republican colleagues in the Texas Legislature also criticized Mr. Cornyn and supported the possible candidacy of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Senate.
“John Cornyn is a complete failure. The state of Texas will not re-elect him to the U.S. Senate, and his colleagues would be fools to believe him,” said Texas Congressman Tony Tinderholt. Ta. “Republican voters deserve leaders who will fight for them and put America first. John Cornyn is nothing more than a slugfest.”
“Ken Paxton is a proven conservative warrior with a track record of taking on the swamp and delivering results for voters,” he continued. “Texans are proud to have him as their attorney general and will be excited to welcome him to the U.S. Senate.”
Mr. Paxton’s name has been floated by a number of conservative figures in Texas as a candidate to replace Mr. Cornyn in the Senate. Since becoming attorney general in 2015, Paxton has firmly entrenched himself on the right wing of the Texas Republican Party, positioning himself as a strong ally of former President Donald Trump and the party’s grassroots base.
While it may seem helpful for Texas to have a homegrown man leading Senate Republicans, there are also powerful players who see things differently and are working to block it. (Related: Here’s who is likely to replace McConnell as Senate Republican leader)
“I have been looking for evidence for years that John Cornyn is actually a Republican. Like all grassroots conservatives and the Texas Republican Party, I have been very vocal many, many times over the years. I’ve been disappointed,” Joseph Trahan, Republican state Senate candidate and BizPac founder and executive chairman, told the Caller. “He has always sided with the Democratic Party and defined a united party by his policies. The last thing America needs right now is a Democrat or RINO in the leadership of the U.S. Senate.”
Mr. Trahan, a successful energy businessman with strong connections in Texas politics, is one of a number of Lone Star State lawmakers who could pose a headache for Mr. Cornyn in 2026. Only one person. He suggested Ted Cruz should run for leadership as a Texas senator.
If I could remove one person from the United States Senate, it would be Chuck Schumer. If you can remove two people, John Cornyn will be next.
A neocon cancer in Texas that directs political funding and sponsorship in every state. Notice he hasn’t said a word in support of Governor Abbott on the border. https://t.co/8XoefJTLvh
— Dissident Soaps (@DissidentSoaps) February 14, 2024
“Another fact about John Cornyn, and in fact the fundamental reason grassroots conservatives criticize him, is that he has proven to be an anti-gun, anti-Trump, Democratic crossover voter. He is a politician of the worst kind – a career politician from a global elite – who does not represent the people who fight for freedom, government transparency, justice and for Texas First, Texans First.” added.
Texas Republican Party chairman candidate Ben Armenta credits Cornyn with helping approve President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, but sees a disconnect between grassroots voters and the senator. ing.
“Senator Cornyn has certainly benefited our movement,” Armenta told the Daily Caller. “I think there’s a rift and we’re seeing the grassroots crying out for it, including the fact that he helped advance many of Donald Trump’s nominees on the Judiciary Committee. I think the Republican Party I want all the other senators in the caucus to hold him accountable like everyone else. I want him to stand by his record and listen to the voters of Texas. sea bream.”
“The job is not just to go to Washington, D.C. and do whatever the parties want,” he continued. “The job is to go to Washington, D.C., and represent the voters, in this case Texans, and in this case conservative Republican Texans.”
Cornyn, on the other hand, opened the curtain Republicans said they needed to find a candidate other than President Trump, preparing for the 2024 presidential election cycle. The former president continued to dominate Republican primaries, especially among the party’s grassroots base.
Mitch Little, the Republican candidate for Texas House District 65, told the Caller that Cornyn is a strong fundraiser but could still be vulnerable.
“The money John Cornyn can raise in the primary is not irrelevant,” Little said. “For anyone who wants to challenge him, that’s an obstacle. But I say money isn’t everything. The bottom line is that if the grassroots decides to move, they move.”
“My impression is that John Cornyn is the most vulnerable politician in the entire state because, from a grassroots perspective, he made the decision to put on the jersey,” Little added. “And when I say put on the jersey, I mean he has chosen to align himself with national Republican figures who promote non-conservative ideals.”
“Look at how the border deal he decided to abide by died so quickly in the U.S. House of Representatives. It’s this kind of betrayal, repeated over and over again, that animates the grassroots. They do not believe he represents them.”
At the 2023 Texas Republican state convention, voters booed Cornyn’s legislative efforts, believing it would restrict Second Amendment rights. (Related: Exclusive: America’s gun owners fight back after John Cornyn announces candidacy for Senate majority leader)
Texas Republican Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, whose name has been floated alongside Paxton as a threat to Cornyn in 2026, told the Caller that the incident shows Cornyn is out of touch with the Republican base. Told.
“At the last state Republican convention, Sen. Cornyn got booed off the stage and that came from the grassroots,” Miller said. “They completely drowned him out. Everyone thought he was going to retire, but with this new opportunity, maybe he’s reconsidering it. I don’t know what it is. It’s clear that if he gets into a powerful position, he doesn’t want to be re-elected.”
“But in my opinion, he’s going to have a pretty hard time getting re-elected in Texas. Just about every elected official across the state could beat him,” Miller continued. “It doesn’t matter how much money he spends. The grassroots knows his history and knows who the real conservatives are.”
Cornyn has no right to even consider running for Senate leadership. ⁰⁰He should retire and be more immune to the tyranny of gun owners. https://t.co/ruKTPwCmOO
— America’s Gun Owners (@GunOwners) April 4, 2024
Charlie Colleen, president of Strategic Political Management and a Texas political expert, said Cornyn is looking to move from Kentucky, similar to McConnell’s home state, to ward off potential candidates in 2026. He was of the opinion that Texas needed a political base.
“Looking to the 2026 U.S. Senate race, all signs point to Sen. John Cornyn throwing himself into the ring again, driven by his long-held ambition to become Senate Majority Leader.” Colleen suggests. “But unlike Mr. McConnell’s firm grip on Kentucky politics, Mr. Cornyn has not exerted the same level of control in Texas.”
Cornyn, a longtime ally of Majority Leader McConnell, is a prolific fundraiser in Washington and has a reputation as the Senate minority leader’s right-hand man.
Like McConnell, Cornyn advocates military aid to Ukraine and an interventionist foreign policy. He has also voted in favor of several government spending bills that have displeased the party’s grassroots.
McConnell advertised In his 2019 campaign, his position as a senator brought $1 billion in federal funding to his home state of Kentucky, boosting his standing among Kentucky voters. If Mr. Cornyn becomes the next Senate majority leader, he could use his position to direct federal funds to the Lone Star State and win support from disaffected voters.
“It’s very likely that he will face a tough primary from someone like Ken Paxton or Sid Miller, who are highly respected among conservatives in the state,” Corian added. “His established credibility among Texas conservatives could pose a serious conflict to Mr. Cornyn’s campaign aspirations.”
While the White House race continues, Mr. Cornyn plans to run his own campaign to secure support in his home state. Republicans will convene to elect a new Senate majority leader after the November election.
Cornyn’s Senate office did not respond to questions from the Daily Caller before publication.
