Senator John Cornyn’s distinguished career came to an abrupt conclusion, driven by the very Republican voters who once elevated him to a position of power.
Cornyn, a prominent figure in both national and Texas politics, was renowned for his measured demeanor, deal-making skills, and significant influence on the Senate GOP conference over the last four presidencies. However, just an hour after the polls closed on Tuesday, Cornyn lost his primary to Ken Paxton, a controversial MAGA favorite who gained a last-minute endorsement from President Donald Trump.
The outcome has caused a stir among the GOP establishment, who viewed the fierce primary as a contest for the party’s identity. Supporters of Cornyn lament his impending departure from the Senate, seeing it as another instance of a traditional conservative losing to the populist right, marking the end of an era of moderate conservatism.
“It just blows my mind that anybody could look at John Cornyn and somehow call him a secret liberal RINO,” remarked Josh Schroeder, the mayor of Georgetown, Texas, and a Cornyn supporter. “If that guy can’t pass a conservative litmus test, who can?”
Cornyn’s defeat is likely to further diminish the number of senators open to bipartisan collaboration on complex policy issues, such as immigration reform and gun safety, potentially exacerbating polarization on Capitol Hill.
Although Cornyn was not a frequent bipartisan operator like former Senators Joe Manchin or Rob Portman, he occasionally sought compromise. His loss follows Senator Bill Cassidy’s defeat in his primary to a Trump-endorsed challenger, marking the first time in 14 years that an elected senator lost a primary.
“He’s always been about delivering results for Texas rather than chasing headlines,” stated Brian Walsh, Cornyn’s former communications director. “He respects the Senate as his institution and believes deeply in doing the work the right way, even when it’s difficult, or I would say politically inconvenient.”
Cornyn played a key role in the GOP leadership team and was a significant Republican fundraiser, operating with the tacit approval of Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, who led the GOP for most of Cornyn’s tenure.
Despite doubts about his prospects in the primary, Cornyn fought fiercely, running negative ads against Paxton until the last minute and highlighting Paxton’s controversies. He warned on Fox News that Paxton could be a “burden” on the Republican ticket, negatively affecting down-ballot races in Texas.
However, these warnings did not sway the majority of primary voters or Trump, who endorsed Paxton, citing Cornyn’s hesitation to endorse his third presidential campaign as evidence of disloyalty.
Paxton’s supporters have long dismissed his legal troubles and personal controversies, prioritizing his commitment to the MAGA agenda over allegations of corruption or personal issues. Paxton focused his campaign on his qualifications for the Senate and allegiance to Trump.
Paxton also capitalized on anti-incumbent sentiment in Texas, arguing that Cornyn was too entrenched in Washington politics. Despite Cornyn’s record of supporting Trump’s policies, these attacks resonated with the GOP base.
During Trump’s first term, Cornyn, as majority whip, helped pass the president’s key tax legislation. In 2024, he narrowly lost a bid for majority leader to Senator John Thune. Cornyn, a former chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, has demonstrated exceptional fundraising skills, raising over $400 million throughout his career.
“Senate Republicans were very eager to see their friend and colleague continue, and Cornyn is one of those guys that would’ve raised money for his fellow incumbents. That’s unlikely to continue,” said a GOP Senate strategist, speaking anonymously.
Trump, after weeks on the sidelines, endorsed Paxton at the start of early voting, rewarding him for supporting efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Cornyn, in contrast, voted to certify the results.
Throughout the campaign, Cornyn shifted right on some issues, adopting the fiery rhetoric of the MAGA base to gain Trump’s endorsement. He ran an ad labeling “radical Islam” as a “bloodthirsty ideology.”
Paxton strategically announced he would exit the primary if the Senate GOP eliminated the filibuster to pass the SAVE America Act, delaying Trump’s endorsement of Cornyn. Cornyn later reversed his long-held support of the filibuster and proposed a bill to rename a highway after Trump, but these efforts came too late.
In a polarized environment, Cornyn’s occasional bipartisan collaborations diminished his standing among Texas’s conservative base.
Cornyn avoided deep involvement in bipartisan immigration talks, such as the “Gang of Eight” in 2013, but later worked with Senator Kyrsten Sinema on a narrower, border-focused bill.
He also succeeded in passing gun safety legislation in 2022 following the Uvalde school shooting. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, though modest compared to Democratic demands, was significant federal gun legislation, sparking backlash from conservative voters in Texas.
“We both know that when we’re doing what’s right, it doesn’t matter what other people think,” Cornyn texted Sinema at the time.
Four years later, Paxton made this legislation a central issue of his campaign, accusing Cornyn of supporting “the worst gun control bill in decades.”
The upcoming Senate race in Texas will be costly and competitive, with Democrats eager to challenge Paxton, whom they see as more vulnerable than Cornyn. Many consider Democratic candidate James Talarico their best chance in years to win a statewide seat.
Schroeder, representing Talarico’s former district, believes the Democrat can run a strong campaign: “He appears to be campaigning from the high road while the Democratic party is just slicing Paxton to shreds because they got a whole lot of ammunition.”
Following the tough primary, some Republicans worry about the party’s ability to unify before November, fearing that Cornyn supporters might abstain from voting or support Talarico. After the race was called, Talarico invited Cornyn’s supporters to join his campaign.
In his concession speech, Cornyn pledged to support the GOP ticket: “I’ve fought the good fight, I’ve finished the race, and I’ve kept the faith.” He added, “I’ll have more to say later.”
Mike DeBonis and Samuel Benson contributed to this article.
