Cornyn ‘not too worried’ about possible challenge from Texas AG Ken Paxton

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) is “not too worried” about a possible primary challenge from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, he told a local news anchor Friday evening.

“I’m not too worried about it. My last election, I had a primary. I had several primary opponents, and I got 76% of the vote,” Cornyn said, responding to the anchor’s question about the primary challenge. “And so, I realize I’m not going to get 100% of the vote. And contested primaries actually make you a better candidate in the general election, in my experience.” 

The Texas anchor followed up with Cornyn, asking, “Do you have a working relationship with the attorney general?” while noting that both Cornyn and Paxton like to “spar” on social platform X.  

“Well, there’s a lot we agree on. And, and, you know, having held that job for four years as the chief law enforcement officer for the state, I have strong feelings about how that job should be performed. But now my job is different. And it’s to represent all of us here in Texas and work with all of our elected officials, including the attorney general,” Cornyn responded. 

Paxton said Cornyn has “been in Washington too long” and has “never really had competition,” during an interview with Tucker Carlson in September 2023.

“He’s worked for what, 14 years or so? And I can’t think of a single thing he’s accomplished for our state or even for the country, let alone the fact that we have a massive invasion into our state,” Paxton said. 

Cornyn has lately taken aim at Paxton, following the Texas Attorney General’s blasting of the Senator’s leadership prospects amid his bid as a possible successor to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.). 

“Hard to run from prison, Ken,” Cornyn wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. 

Cornyn and Paxton have trolled online, firing back at each other on social media.