Senator John Cornyn (R-Texas) announced today that he is running to lead the Senate GOP after Senator Mitch McConnell announced yesterday he would step down as Senate minority leader this year.
In the announcement, Cornyn stated, “Throughout my time I’ve built a track record of listening to colleagues and seeking consensus, while leading the fight to stop bad policies that are harmful to our nation and the conservative cause.” He claimed his experience would restore the Senate, saying, “I have learned what works in the Senate and what does not, and I am confident Senate Republicans can restore our institution to the essential role it serves in our constitutional republic.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton stated the bid for Senate minority leader would be challenging for Cornyn, stating on X, “It will be difficult for @JohnCornyn to be an effective leader since he is anti-Trump, anti-gun, and will be focused on his highly competitive primary campaign in 2026. Republicans deserve better in their next leader and Texans deserve another conservative Senator.”
In Cornyn’s response, he referenced the securities fraud trial starting April 15 where Paxton is facing up to 99 years in prison, stating on X, “Hard to run from prison, Ken”
Before election to the U.S. Senate in 2002, Cornyn served as the Attorney General of Texas from 1999 to 2002, and was an Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court from 1991 to 1997.
