Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton beat incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) by nine points in a poll released Wednesday, previewing the 2026 Senate race. Paxton has attempted to portray himself as more in line with President Donald Trump, which could help him win the Republican primary in a state where Trump won 56.2% of the vote in the 2024 election.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton led another poll against Senator John Cornyn in the state's 2026 Senate primary race. Cornyn, who has spent more than two decades representing Texas in the Senate, has drawn a primary challenge from Paxton,

The poll also shows the Texas attorney general leading the state’s senior senator by 7 points if U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt enters next year's Republican primary for Cornyn's Senate seat. But Paxton’s lead drops to within the margin of error against his most likely Democratic challengers in the general election.