Texas Attorney General Leads in Senate Primary Polls
In Texas, Attorney General Ken Paxton holds a significant lead over incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate, based on a recent poll conducted for Paxton’s campaign. The rivalry is set to escalate as they head toward a May runoff.
The Pulse Decision Science survey indicates that 36% of likely Republican primary voters back Paxton, while 27% support Cornyn, and 15% are in favor of Representative Wesley Hunt. Around 22% of respondents remain undecided.
Early voting for the primary kicks off next week, scheduled for March 3. If no candidate secures more than 50% of the vote, a runoff between the top two contenders will take place on May 26.
An independent poll from the University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs also shows Paxton ahead with 38% to Cornyn’s 31%, while Hunt trails at 17%.
A previous JL Partners poll reported Paxton leading with 27%, while Hunt was at 25.7% and Cornyn at 21.7%. The Real Clear Politics polling aggregator lists Paxton again in first with 29.8%, followed by Cornyn with 27.8% and Hunt at 19.5%.
Interestingly, former President Trump has yet to endorse any of the three candidates, although they all are attempting to align themselves with the “Make America Great Again” movement.
Both Paxton and Hunt have criticized Cornyn, depicting him as a Washington insider. Recently, the Texas state legislature unveiled an AI-generated ad portraying Cornyn performing a “Washington Waltz” with potential Democratic opponent, Representative Jasmine Crockett.
However, Paxton faces challenges due to negative attention surrounding his impeachment last May by the Texas House. He was acquitted by the state Senate on 16 charges related to his involvement in a lawsuit for a political donor linked to his alleged mistress.
His wife, state Senator Angela Paxton, did not vote in the matter but filed for divorce in July.
“Texans are familiar with both Ken Paxton and John Cornyn,” said Paxton’s counsel, Nick Maddux. “That’s why Paxton remains well-positioned as early voting approaches, despite having spent over $70 million combating false narratives about his tenure as attorney general.”
Additionally, starting Friday, Paxton plans to share his story through paid media, as noted in a memo related to the internal investigation.
On the other hand, Hunt has garnered negative attention too, specifically for his record of missed votes in the House, including a recent incident where Republican leaders delayed a vote awaiting his return to oppose a Democratic-supported resolution. This measure could have impeded President Trump’s potential military actions in Venezuela following the U.S. arrest of dictator Nicolas Maduro on January 3.
Paxton’s campaign funded the survey targeting 800 likely Republican primary voters in Texas from February 8 to 11.
