AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A heated U.S. Senate race in Texas entered its final stretch on Sunday with candidates on both sides of the aisle making final pitches to voters ahead of Tuesday’s primary, the nation’s first big contest of the 2026 midterm elections.
Incumbent Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn is trying to hold on to the seat he has held since first being elected in 2002, but finds himself in the toughest race of his long career against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt.
kAm“r@>A=246?4J 😀 2 <:==6C[” r@C?J? E@=5 G@E6CD $2EFC52J 2E 2 D627@@5 C6DE2FC2?E 😕 %96 (@@5=2?5D[ 2 w@FDE@? DF3FC3] “xE <:==D C6=2E:@?D9:AD] xE <:==D 42C66CD]”k^Am
kAms6>@4C2ED 92G6?’E H@? 2 $6?2E6 C246 😕 %6I2D D:?46 `hgg[ 3FE E96J D66 2? @A6?:?8 E9:D J62C E@ 96=A 3@@DE E96:C =@?8\D9@E 9@A6D @7 C642AEFC:?8 2 $6?2E6 >2;@C:EJ[ 6DA64:2==J :7 #6AF3=:42?D ?@>:?2E6 !2IE@?[ H9@ 😀 A@AF=2C H:E9 |pvp G@E6CD 3FE 92D 925 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^<6?\A2IE@?\E6I2D\5:G@C46\C6AF3=:42?\D6?2E6\df_bh36bd2hd6h564cg72ec3b_agbdg2QmJ62CD @7 =682= AC@3=6>D]k^2mk^Am
kAm~? E96 s6>@4C2E:4 D:56[ DE2E6 #6A] k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^;2>6D\E2=2C:4@\4@C?J?\A2IE@?\FD\D6?2E6\E6I2D\`gae76c5e22`ea7_353g_dh4dghgf22hQmy2>6D %2=2C:4@k^2m[ 2 D6=7\56D4C:365 A@=:4J H@?< H9@ 6>A92D:K6D 9:D 4C@DD@G6C 2AA62= E@ #6AF3=:42?D[ 7246D k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^E6I2D\D6?2E6\C246\4@=:?\2==C65\;2D>:?6\4C@4<6EE\dgch5b42cc2fbb46_`eb___f_fgg664bQm&]$] #6A] y2D>:?6 rC@4<6EEk^2m[ 2 C96E@C:42= 3C2H=6C @? r2A:E@= w:== H9@ C646:G65 2 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^<2>2=2\92CC:D\;2D>:?6\4C@4<6EE\E6I2D\D6?2E6\6534`_dfh7_a`de4`7dh7c5`d7b2dga6Qm9:89\AC@7:=6 6?5@CD6>6?Ek^2m uC:52J 7C@> 7@C>6C ‘:46 !C6D:56?E z2>2=2 w2CC:D]k^Am
kAmr2?5:52E6D 2?5 A@=:E:42= 8C@FAD 2C6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^D6?2E6\E6I2D\E2=2C:4@\4C@4<6EE\4@C?J?\A2IE@?\6c`5c`75ee2cb37ebg3eh7f_a6ff722bQmA@FC:?8 >@?6J :?E@ E96 C246k^2m 2E 2 C64@C5 A246[ A2CE=J 7F6=65 3J %2=2C:4@VD 7F?5C2:D:?8 2?5 2==:6D @7 r@C?J? ECJ:?8 E@ D2G6 9:D =@?8 42C66C]k^Am
kAmw625:?8 :?E@ %F6D52J’D AC:>2CJ 6=64E:@?D[ E96 4@DE @7 25G6CE:D:?8 2?5 C6D6CG65 25G6CE:D:?8 E:>6 925 E@AA65 S“_ >:==:@?[ E96 >@DE 6G6C 7@C 2 $6?2E6 AC:>2CJ[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^I]4@>^p5x>A24E0!@=^DE2EFD^a_adhebg`hfg`__dbcaQm25\EC24<:?8 7:C> p5x>A24Ek^2m]k^Am
kAmp =2E6 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^ECF>A\E6I2D\4@C?J?\A2IE@?\9F?E\8@A\AC:>2CJ\45b`5364`_4dc46ab_26h`d6d`43447_QmG:D:E E@ %6I2D @? uC:52Jk^2m 3J !C6D:56?E s@?2=5 %CF>A[ H9@ FD65 E96 !@CE @7 r@CAFD r9C:DE: 2D 2 324<5C@A 7@C 2 DA6649 9:89=:89E:?8 6?6C8J AC@5F4E:@?[ 5C6H 2== @7 E96 E@A #6AF3=:42? &]$] $6?2E6 42?5:52E6D] p?5 H9:=6 %CF>A D2:5 uC:52J 96VD “AC6EEJ >F49” 564:565 H9@> E@ 6?5@CD6[ 96 564=:?65 E@ ?2>6 H9@ 96V== 24EF2==J DFAA@CE]k^Am
kAm“(6 92G6 2 8C62E 2EE@C?6J 86?6C2=[ z6? !2IE@?] (96C6’D z6?n w:[ z6?[” %CF>A D2:5] w6 4@?E:?F65[ “p?5 H6 92G6 2 8C62E D6?2E@C[ y@9? r@C?J?] w:[ y@9?]”k^Am
kAm}@E:?8 E92E E96J’C6 😕 2 “=:EE=6 3:E @7 2 C246[” %CF>A 25565i ’xE’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 2? :?E6C6DE:?8 @?6[ C:89En %96J’C6 3@E9 8C62E A6@A=6]”k^Am
kAms6DA:E6 9:D =@?8 42C66C 😕 %6I2D A@=:E:4D[ !2IE@? 92D A2:?E65 9:>D6=7 2D 2 (2D9:?8E@? @FED:56C 2?5 2 DE2F?49 DFAA@CE6C @7 %CF>A]k^Am
kAm“xV> ?@E 8@:?8 FA E@ (2D9:?8E@?[ s]r][ E@ ;@:? E96 DH2>A 4=F3[” !2IE@? D2:5 2E 2 42>A2:8? 6G6?E 😕 u@CE (@CE9] “x H:== 8@ FA E96C6 2?5 7:89E 7@C J@F]”k^Am
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.