Texas AG Ken Paxton Launches Senate Campaign | EUROtoday

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is operating for the U.S. Senate in a major problem in opposition to Republican Sen. John Cornyn, organising what’s more likely to turn out to be one of many GOP’s most contentious and costly contests of 2026.

Paxton, a detailed ally of President Donald Trump, made the announcement Tuesday after spending greater than a 12 months overtly flirting with a Senate problem. During that point, Paxton has sought to place himself as a nationwide chief among the many GOP’s ascendant onerous proper, launching among the first felony investigations within the U.S. over abortion bans and gender-affirming look after transgender youth.

His entry into the race, which he made official in an interview with Fox News’ Laura Ingraham, comes as Paxton is now not shadowed by authorized troubles that had hung over him for almost a decade however didn’t weaken his potential to win reelection twice.

“I’m running for U.S. Senate to fight for President Trump’s agenda and take a sledgehammer to the D.C. establishment,” Paxton stated in a publish on X. “Together, let’s send John Cornyn packing.”

Cornyn’s marketing campaign responded by calling his challenger a “fraud” and leaning into Paxton’s historic impeachment in 2023 after eight of his closest aides accused him of corruption and reported him to the FBI. Paxton was later acquitted within the Texas Senate, the place his spouse is a state senator however was not allowed to forged a vote in his trial.

“This will be a spirited campaign and we assure Texans they will have a real choice when this race is over,” Cornyn’s marketing campaign stated in a press release.

Paxton’s resolution to enter the race highlights his political resiliency and recognition amongst Texas Republicans after a decade of authorized woes that, at instances, appeared to imperil his future: felony securities fraud fees, impeachment after a rare revolt by his closest aides and an FBI corruption investigation. Paxton reached a deal to finish the felony case and the Biden administration quietly determined to not prosecute him.

Cornyn, a revered and fashionable senator inside the GOP convention in Washington, will doubtless now need to face his best marketing campaign since taking workplace in 2002.

He not too long ago misplaced his bid to steer the GOP as Senate majority chief in November after he spent a number of years as Sen. Mitch McConnell’s No. 2 in management. A former Texas lawyer common and state Supreme Court justice, Cornyn has helped the social gathering increase hundreds of thousands of {dollars} all through his decades-long profession and has labored with Democrats on bipartisan payments.

Cornyn has obtained criticism from Paxton and different Republicans after he urged that Trump may not be the perfect Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election.

Paxton has additionally expressed discontent with Cornyn’s help of a 2022 bipartisan gun invoice that strengthened background checks for consumers below 21, elevated prosecution for unlicensed sellers and funds for youth psychological well being providers within the wake of the Uvalde, Texas, elementary faculty taking pictures that killed 19 youngsters and two academics.

Amidst a number of authorized battles, the Texas lawyer common has turn out to be a widely known determine on the suitable for his litigation in opposition to former President Joe Biden. Notably, Paxton led a lawsuit making an attempt to overturn Trump’s loss to Biden in 2020, an effort that the U.S. Supreme Court rejected.

In 2023, the Texas House voted to question Paxton for bribery offenses associated to a rich actual property donor. He was later acquitted within the Senate following a two-week trial. The Justice Department determined to not pursue its investigation into Paxton over the allegations within the last weeks of former President Biden’s time period, in line with two individuals acquainted with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press on the situation of anonymity.

A district court docket choose in April awarded $6.6 million mixed to 4 former senior Paxton aides of their lawsuit in opposition to his workplace after they had been fired shortly after reporting Paxton’s workplace to the FBI for bribery allegations.

Associated Press writers Alanna Durkin Richer and Eric Tucker in Washington contributed to this report.

Nadia Lathan is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit nationwide service program that locations journalists in native newsrooms to report on undercovered points.