Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) announced his campaign for the U.S. Senate on Tuesday after previously hinting at launching a bid against his incumbent GOP colleague Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas).
Paxton, 62, has branded himself as a “fearless conservative” and “loyal supporter” of President Trump on his campaign website, noting his intentions to deliver on the Republican leader’s legislative agenda.
“There are too many establishment politicians who have spent decades in Washington ignoring the people they’re supposed to represent,” a statement on his page reads.
“They care more about lobbyists and special interests than their own constituents, and our country deserves better.”
Paxton’s public declaration to challenge Corryn comes after months of banter with the senior senator who’s served in the upper chamber since 2002. The face-off between the two in the party primary is expected to be one of the most expensive in the country.
“Democrats are trying to destroy President Trump, and he and Texas need a battle-tested conservative who knows how to protect his agenda in the Senate and won’t be outsmarted by Chuck Schumer,” a campaign spokesperson for Corryn told The Hill.
“Ken Paxton is a fraud,” they added.
In the past, Paxton has hammered Corryn, whom he describes as a “RINO” or “Republican in name only,” over his vote to support additional aid to Ukraine and a bill seeking harsher gun regulations after the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
The Texas attorney general said if elected he would prioritize border security, “America First” foreign policy measures and cutting taxes.
While serving as the state’s top prosecutor, he initiated over 100 lawsuits against the Biden administration and cracked down on illegal abortions conducted in the Lone Star state.
“This will be a spirited campaign and we assure Texans they will have a real choice when this race is over,” the spokesperson for Corryn said.
