Disclosure: We endorsed Ken Paxton in this primary.
(Daily Signal)—The most contentious Senate contest of 2026 is shaping up to be between two Republicans.
Since Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton declared his run to unseat Sen. John Cornyn, who has represented the Lone Star State since 2002, the two candidates have hammered each other with attack ads that question each other’s character and MAGA bona fides.
Paxton started out his campaign accusing Cornyn, 73, of not being a genuine supporter of President Donald Trump.
“He doesn’t represent the values of Texas. He has taken positions that are extremely unpopular, at least in the Republican base, and I think many Texans, as it relates to guns, as it relates to the border, as it even relates to President Trump,” said Paxton, 62.
TEXAS AG AND SENATE CANDIDATE SLAMS SENATOR CORNYN FOR NOT REPRESENTING THE VALUES OF TEXAS AND IS LOYAL TO THE ESTABLISHMENT
Texas Attorney General and Candidate for U.S. Senate @KenPaxtonTX tells @MattGaetz that Senator Cornyn “doesn’t represent the values of Texas…he’s more… pic.twitter.com/a3y7e1UK3e
— One America News (@OANN) April 15, 2025
“And I feel like he’s more loyal to [former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.] and the Washington establishment than he is to the Texas voters.”
In 2023, in the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election, Cornyn told an interviewer that the Republican Party should move on from Trump.
“Well, you know, in politics, unless you can win an election, you’re pretty much irrelevant,” Cornyn told the interviewer. “And I just think it’s critical that, given the direction of the country now into the Biden administration, that Republicans nominate somebody who can win a general election.”
In the wake of Cornyn’s announcement of his run for a fifth six-year term, a Cornyn campaign account on X called the state attorney general a “fraud” and said that he “claims to be a man of faith, but uses fake Uber accounts to meet his girlfriend and deceive his family.”
The attacks have not ceased. Cornyn’s team has gone on the offensive, accusing Paxton of being “corrupt” in a recent ad.
Paxton has faced his share of legal troubles. The Texas attorney general was acquitted of 16 impeachment articles in September 2023, most of which were related to allegations that he had done favors for a political donor.
Now, Cornyn is trying to position himself as the true voice of law and order in Texas.
One of Cornyn’s newest attack ads accuses Paxton of being “too corrupt and compromised” to shut down the East Plano Islamic Center—a 402-acre Texas residential development designed for Muslims—which Cornyn says “is designed to be a safe haven for Shariah law.”
Cornyn has penned a letter to the Justice Department requesting that it investigate the Islamic center for potential discrimination against Christians and Jews.
Much of this ruthless campaign is likely to come down to who can convince Texas Republican primary voters that they best represent Trump’s agenda.
For years, John Cornyn has betrayed President Trump and the America First movement. Texas deserves better, and that’s why I’m running for U.S. Senate.
Join me in the fight: https://t.co/rQl0P2UnWU pic.twitter.com/WP1g8vbXi0
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) April 9, 2025
Paxton has repeatedly aired ads highlighting Cornyn’s past criticisms of Trump, while Cornyn has touted his record of supporting Trump-backed legislation in the past.
It’s likely to be a tough race. Paxton reportedly decided to run against Cornyn after internal polling showed him with a lead of over 20 points over the incumbent senator.
Paxton’s run also received encouraging signals when a February University of Houston poll of Republicans showed that 36% of past and future Republican primary voters “definitely would consider” voting for him, compared to 32% for Cornyn.
According to Ballotpedia, the date of the 2026 Texas Republican primary has not yet been set.
Jacob Adams contributed to this report.
Why One Survival Food Company Shines Above the Rest
Let’s be real. “Prepper Food” or “Survival Food” is generally awful. The vast majority of companies that push their cans, bags, or buckets desperately hope that their customers never try them and stick them in the closet or pantry instead. Why? Because if the first time they try them is after the crap hits the fan, they’ll be too shaken to call and complain about the quality.
It’s true. Most long-term storage food is made with the cheapest possible ingredients with limited taste and even less nutritional value. This is why they tout calories so much. Sure, they provide calories but does anyone really want to go into the apocalypse with food their family can’t stand?
This is what prompted the Llewellyns to launch Heaven’s Harvest. They bought survival food from multiple companies and determined they couldn’t imagine being stuck in an extended emergency with such low-quality food. They quickly discovered that freeze drying food for long-term storage doesn’t have to mean sacrificing flavor, consistency, or nutrition.
Their ingredients are all-American. In fact, they’re locally sourced and all-natural! This allows their products to be the highest quality on the market, so good that their customers often break open a bag in a pinch to eat because they want to, not just because they have to due to an emergency.
At Heaven’s Harvest, their only focus is amazing food. They don’t sell bugout bags, solar chargers, or multitools. They have one mission – feeding Americans in times of crisis.
What they DO offer is the ability for people to thrive in times of greatest need. On top of long-term storage food, they offer seeds to help Americans for the truly long-term. They want them to grow their own food if possible which is why they offer only Heirloom, Non-GMO, Non-Hybrid, Open-Pollinated seeds so their customers can build permanent food security on their own property.