WASHINGTON — U.S. Sen. John Cornyn kicked off his campaign Thursday to succeed Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell after he steps aside in November.
“Throughout my time I’ve built a track record of listening to colleagues and seeking consensus, while leading the fight to stop bad policies that are harmful to our nation and the conservative cause,” Cornyn, R-Texas, said in a statement announcing his bid.
Cornyn is widely considered a top contender for the position he has long eyed, but others are expected to run.
Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., is the current Republican whip and often cited as the front-runner for the position. Thune quietly began his own campaign for the job Thursday, Politico reported, citing comments by his spokesperson.
Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., also could be in the mix.
A dark horse candidate from the ranks of younger senators also could emerge, with McConnell relinquishing the post after a record 17 years as leader.
As a top lieutenant to McConnell, Cornyn will face some of the same skepticism the Kentuckian encountered from the party’s conservative base.
Talk of his interest in the job quickly produced social media taunts calling Cornyn a Republican in name only. Detractors have cited his work on a bipartisan gun law in the wake of the Uvalde school massacre, his support for compromise spending bills and past criticism of former President Donald Trump.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has teased a 2026 primary challenge to Cornyn, added his voice to critics.
“It will be difficult for @JohnCornyn to be an effective leader since he is anti-Trump, anti-gun, and will be focused on his highly competitive primary campaign in 2026,” Paxton posted. “Republicans deserve better in their next leader and Texans deserve another conservative Senator.”
Cornyn quickly shot back with a nod to Paxton’s ongoing legal issues.
“Hard to run from prison, Ken,” Cornyn retorted.
Paxton faces nearly 9-year-old securities fraud charges based on private business deals in 2011, with a trial set to begin in mid-April. In addition, a federal grand jury in San Antonio is reviewing Paxton’s ties to Austin real estate investor Nate Paul, who is under federal indictment for bank and wire fraud.
Cornyn told reporters that he discussed his plans with Trump on Wednesday, although he said he will not seek an endorsement from the former president or anyone else outside the Senate.
He said he also spoke with Trump after his victory in the New Hampshire primary, highlighting how they worked well together when Trump was president and he was the No. 2 Senate Republican. Cornyn told Trump he hopes they can do that again.
“I think it’s a good relationship, you know, based on a shared desire to fix what’s broken in this country, which is basically the Biden administration,” Cornyn said. “I hope I have that opportunity.”
He said they did not discuss his previous criticism of Trump, which included saying last year that Republicans needed to find someone else as their 2024 nominee. At that time, Cornyn questioned Trump’s ability to expand his base of support enough to win a general election.
At the time, Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung shot back, saying the senator was part of the “deep state rotting through government.”
Cornyn reversed course in January and backed Trump shortly after his New Hampshire win, saying GOP primary voters had spoken.
In his statement Thursday, Cornyn touted his two terms as chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee from 2009-13. He said Republican wins under his tenure laid the foundation for the party to hold a majority of seats after the 2014 election.
He also took credit as McConnell’s No. 2 during the Trump administration for helping to pass a major Republican tax bill and confirming right-leaning judges to the federal bench.
Cornyn said the Senate is broken but that he intends to play a major role in fixing it.
“From experience, I have learned what works in the Senate and what does not, and I am confident Senate Republicans can restore our institution to the essential role it serves in our constitutional republic,” Cornyn said.
That includes improving communication, increasing transparency and including every senator’s expertise and opinion, he said. He vowed an end to backroom deals and rushed votes on bills.
“We will restore the important role of Senate committees and reestablish the regular appropriations process, rather than lurch from one crisis to another,” Cornyn said.
Speaking to reporters, Cornyn pushed back on a suggestion that some of his younger GOP colleagues view him as part of the problem with a broken Senate.
“I actually have been here when the Senate has worked and when it has not worked, and so I think I’ve learned a few things about what we can do to fix it,” he said. “But those are conversations I’ll be having with my colleagues.”
