Texas' Cornyn candidate for majority leader

AUSTIN, Texas - U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, is one of three senators seeking to become Senate majority leader next year, when Republicans take majority control of the Senate.

Here are five things to know about Cornyn.

He's a former justice and attorney general

Cornyn was elected to the Texas Supreme Court in 1990 and served as a justice for seven years before becoming the first Republican elected as Texas attorney general since Reconstruction when he edged out Democrat Jim Mattox in 1998.

Cornyn was the state's top lawyer for four years.

Elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002

Cornyn replaced U.S. Sen. Phil Gramm when the Texas Republican declined to seek a fourth term in 2002.

Running on a promise to support President George W. Bush's agenda, Cornyn defeated former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk, who would later become U.S. trade representative for President Barack Obama.

Cornyn has been elected three times since, with his closest race coming in 2020, when he defeated Democrat M.J. Hegar by 10 percentage points.

Lead negotiator on gun safety bill

Cornyn has shown a willingness to work with Democrats to pass legislation, including the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, a gun safety bill passed in response to the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde that killed 19 students and two teachers.

Cornyn defended the bill, which temporarily banned gun ownership by those convicted of domestic violence, clarified the definition of a federally licensed firearms dealer, and added juvenile records to background checks before gun purchases.

Grassroots Republicans criticized the bill for infringing on gun rights, and delegates to the 2022 GOP state convention booed Cornyn when he appeared on stage.

Accused of being insufficiently conservative

Cornyn got on Trump's bad side when he voted to certify the 2020 election on Jan. 6, 2021, with Trump calling Cornyn a RINO – Republican In Name Only

During a May 2023 call with Texas reporters, Cornyn was asked by The Dallas Morning News if Trump's chaotic appearance at a CNN town hall days earlier gave him reservations about Trump's bid to return to the White House.

Cornyn said the GOP needed an alternate candidate. "I think President Trump's time has passed him by and what's the most important thing to me is we have a candidate who can actually win," Cornyn said.

The comment prompted a spokesperson for the Trump campaign to call Cornyn part of the "deep state rotting through government."

Cornyn endorsed Trump after he won the New Hampshire primary in January.

Up for reelection in 2026

Cornyn has committed to seeking a fifth term in 2026, setting up a potential confrontation with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has signaled a willingness to challenge Cornyn in the Republican primary.

Paxton, a strong Trump ally, has repeatedly attacked Cornyn as too moderate for the present GOP.

In a February social media post, Paxton said Cornyn would not be an effective Senate Majority leader because "he is anti-Trump, anti-gun, and will be focused on his highly competitive primary campaign in 2026."

Cornyn fired back, writing "Hard to run from prison, Ken."

Earlier this year, Paxton struck a deal to wipe out 9-year-old securities fraud charges. The U.S. Department of Justice has been investigating Paxton over accusations of bribery and misuse of office made by former top officials of his agency.