John Cornyn warns of ‘massacre’ if Ken Paxton wins Texas GOP primary

FORT WORTH, TEXAS: With the clock ticking toward the March 3 primary, Sen John Cornyn is warning Texas Republicans that picking the wrong nominee could turn November into a bloodbath.

Speaking to supporters at the Fort Worth Police Association on Wednesday, Feb 18, afternoon, the four-term Republican laid out the stakes if state Attorney General Ken Paxton tops the GOP ticket.

John Cornyn’s closing argument against Ken Paxton

“If Ken Paxton is the nominee, we could well experience a massacre and the first Democrat elected since 1994 in the state of Texas,” Cornyn warned, referring to statewide races.

“I know people assume that Texas is a red state, will always be a red state, but when you nominate a flawed individual with the sort of political baggage that Ken Paxton has, you are risking all that,” Cornyn said. “You’re risking the United States Senate seat. You’re risking President Trump’s agenda to resume two years in office, and you are risking everybody else on the ballot below the Senate race.”

A day earlier at Serranos Cocina y Cantina in Austin, Cornyn delivered the same forecast to a few dozen backers as he predicted Paxton’s nomination would bring “an Election Day massacre” for Republicans.

“Republicans up and down the ticket will pay the price of having an albatross like our corrupt attorney general hung around their neck,” Cornyn said, referencing Paxton’s controversies such as divorce and the bribery allegations that led to his impeachment by the state House in 2023. The state Senate later acquitted him.

With three major Republicans in the race, namely Cornyn, Paxton, and Rep Wesley Hunt, it’s unlikely any candidate will capture a majority outright. That makes a May 26 runoff the expected sequel.

Ken Paxton fires back

That said, Paxton isn’t buying Cornyn’s doomsday scenario.

Instead, he argues he’s the one who can juice turnout among the party’s most loyal (and sometimes least reliable) voters when President Donald Trump isn’t on the ballot.

“Ensuring that low-propensity America First voters are motivated to show up in November is critical to Republicans’ success in 2026, and John Cornyn is the single worst person in Texas to accomplish that,” Paxton said in a February 9 statement.

Paxton also pointed to polling from the University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs. The survey tested hypothetical general election matchups and found both Cornyn and Paxton slightly ahead of Democratic contenders, albeit within the margin of error. It also found Republican primary voters viewed Paxton more favorably than Cornyn.

Cornyn dismissed Paxton’s claim that he can mobilize infrequent Trump voters.

Paxton is “living in a fantasy,” he said Tuesday, arguing his rival would be “dead weight” for the GOP ticket. Independents, Democrats, and “many Republicans" wouldn’t support Paxton “because of his blatant record of corruption," Cornyn added.

“So I understand him trying to put the best spin on his argument, but it’s simply not true,” he declared.

Trump remains on the sidelines for now

Trump has still not decided who he is backing.

Cornyn has stressed that the bigger picture extends beyond just one Senate seat. He noted that Trump is particularly focused on maintaining control of the House, especially the five Texas congressional districts that Republican lawmakers redrew last year to favor the GOP. Democrats need just a net gain of three seats nationally to flip the chamber.

“I know they’re important to President Trump, because he talks about it all the time,” Cornyn said of the Texas districts. “He does not want to lose the majority in the House of Representatives. First, because we want to continue to pass good, solid legislation and pass President Trump’s agenda. But he doesn’t want to get impeached for a third time, which is what will happen if the Democrats get control.”

Still, Trump hasn’t taken a side. “I just haven’t made a decision on that race yet. It’s got a ways to go,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One this week. He added that Cornyn is “a good man.”

“I like all three of them, actually, I like all three. Those are the toughest races. They’ve all supported me. They’re all good, and you’re supposed to pick one. So we’ll see what happens. But I support all three,” Trump added.