Ken Paxton Claims Senator John Cornyn Wants Him to Lose Texas Senate Race

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has accused Senator John Cornyn of actively wishing for his defeat in the state's high-stakes Senate race, according to newly leaked audio. In a recording obtained by CNN from a private September fundraiser in Washington, D.C., Paxton alleged that Cornyn expressed a desire to see him lose and to "teach those Republicans a lesson."

Paxton recounted an alleged incident at a Dallas restaurant where a friend thanked Cornyn for supporting Paxton despite the latter's primary loss. According to Paxton, Cornyn's reaction was visibly negative, with his face turning red. Paxton claimed Cornyn responded, "Paxton's gonna lose. We need to teach those Republicans a lesson. It's going to be hard to learn, but they need to know that their decisions have consequences."

CNN reported that it could not independently verify Paxton's account of the restaurant encounter. A representative for Cornyn's office denied that the conversation ever took place.

Rob Jesmer, Cornyn's longtime political strategist, pushed back against Paxton's claims, telling CNN that if the senator truly wanted Paxton to lose, he would be more directly involved in the campaign. Jesmer stated that Cornyn has publicly supported the Republican ticket and suggested that his current level of support was more than adequate, particularly given Paxton's own actions.

This marks the fifth known audio clip to surface from the September fundraiser, amplifying attention on internal divisions within the Republican Party as the Texas Senate race intensifies. The leaks have also exposed Paxton's private frustrations with his own campaign, including blaming external factors like the Iran war and rising fuel prices for impacting Republican prospects, and expressing a lack of control over campaign messaging.

Despite these internal disputes, former President Donald Trump has continued to endorse Paxton, recently praising him at a Texas rally as "perhaps the greatest attorney general in the United States of America."

Meanwhile, Senator Cornyn is nearing the end of his congressional tenure and has released a book criticizing the MAGA movement and Donald Trump, offering his perspective on the forces that have reshaped the Republican Party.

Paxton has recently trailed his opponent, James Talarico, in several polls, though one poll released this week indicated a deadlocked race. Cornyn has not publicly endorsed Paxton since the primary and has been notably reluctant to campaign alongside his former rival, a stance that has reportedly frustrated some Texas Republicans.