<\/p>\n
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at CPAC on Saturday in Grapevine.<\/p>\n
Eleanor Dearman<\/p>\n
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton predicted that he\u2019ll be favored in May\u2019s U.S. Senate Republican race against incumbent John Cornyn during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Grapevine.<\/p>\n
Paxton told the crowd on Friday night that he\u2019s optimistic headed into the second round of voting \u2014 more conservative candidates tend to win runoff elections, Paxton said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI promise you this,\u201d Paxton said. \u201cInstead of having a senator that represents Washington D.C., we\u2019re going to have a senator in Texas that represents Texas and the values of the Republican party.\u201d<\/p>\n
Paxton was the keynote speaker at CPAC\u2019s Ronald Reagan dinner, a black-tie optional soiree capping off the day\u2019s programing. He\u2019s the CPAC-endorsed candidate in the Republican runoff for U.S. Senate<\/a> against Cornyn.<\/p>\n Paxton didn\u2019t wade into the prospects of a President Donald Trump endorsement as Paxton addressed the crowd.<\/p>\n Paxton did reference his call for the passage of the SAVE America Act, which he has previously named as a condition for his exit from the election.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s shocking to me that we have not passed the Save America Act, and I\u2019m grateful to President Trump\u2019s pushing of the Senate to pass that act,\u201d Paxton said.<\/p>\n Much of the speech was similar to remarks he made during a North Texas campaign stop<\/a> ahead of the March 3 primary election.<\/p>\n Paxton told stories about running for office for the first time and his 2023 impeachment. He was acquitted in a Senate trial.<\/p>\n He also pinged Cornyn for spending decades in Washington. Cornyn is seeking his fifth term.<\/p>\n Before Paxton took the stage, there was an auction that included gold Trump hats that sold for thousands of dollars and a $9,000 gator hunt with Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry.<\/p>\n Texas\u2019 U.S. Senate race also came up at other times during the day\u2019s main-stage programming, including when Steve Bannon, host of the \u201cWar Room\u201d podcast, took the stage.<\/p>\n Bannon told the Friday afternoon crowd that the reason Cornyn wasn\u2019t at CPAC was because Cornyn \u201cdoesn\u2019t think you\u2019re important enough to talk to.\u201d The crowd booed in response and cheered when Bannon mentioned Paxton.<\/p>\n Cornyn isn\u2019t scheduled to speak at the conference.<\/p>\n \u201cHas anyone seen John Cornyn here?\u201d Paxton said to the crowd. \u201cBecause I haven\u2019t seen him.\u201d<\/p>\n Cornyn\u2019s campaign announced on Wednesday that they\u2019d have a mobile billboard targeting Paxton outside CPAC. The ad claims Paxton is \u201cso corrupt\u201d it makes Hillary Clinton blush, and the ad also outlines various allegations against the embattled attorney general, according to a copy provided by Cornyn\u2019s campaign.<\/p>\n Cornyn Campaign senior adviser Matt Mackowiak said Texans need to know the \u201cextreme depth\u201d of Paxton\u2019s corruption.<\/p>\n \u201cPaxton is an embarrassment to our state, while Senator Cornyn has been a statesman and trusted public servant for his entire career,\u201d Mackowiak said. \u201cCharacter is on the ballot in May, and we know Texans will reject Ken Paxton\u2019s mountain of unethical behavior once and for all.\u201d<\/p>\n Staff Writer Rachel Royster contributed to this report.<\/b><\/p>\n This story was originally published March 27, 2026 at 11:05 PM.<\/p>\n CORRECTION:<\/b> CPAC endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for Senate on Saturday. The timing was incorrect in an ealier verison of this report.\u00a0<\/p>\n Corrected Mar 29, 2026<\/p>\n Eleanor Dearman<\/a><\/p>\n Fort Worth Star-Telegram<\/p>\n Eleanor (Elly) Dearman is a Texas politics and government reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She\u2019s based in Austin, covering the Legislature and its impact on North Texas. She grew up in Denton and has been a reporter for more than six years.
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