Rep. Wesley Hunt has jumped into the GOP primary to challenge Sen. John Cornyn, and the race is heating up with sharp attacks over loyalty, voting records, and conservative credentials. Hunt argues the party has moved on from Cornyn and points to Trump’s social posts and voting scores as proof, while Cornyn’s camp fires back with statistics and counteraccusations. The contest pits an insurgent, Trump-aligned message against an establishment record, and it could reshape the Republican lineup in Texas ahead of the primary.
Hunt announced his campaign this month and wasted no time challenging Cornyn’s standing with grassroots conservatives. He framed his bid as offering a true conservative choice for Texas voters and directly questioned Cornyn’s recent positioning. The tone is confrontational and calculated to appeal to activists who want clearer loyalty to the former president.
“John Cornyn has spent 35 million dollars over the course of the past few months to still find himself in third place and polling in the low thirties,” Hunt told Fox News Digital. That line underscores the argument that name recognition and money haven’t translated into momentum among primary voters. Hunt is betting that energy and alignment with the base can overcome incumbency and advertising budgets.
“I’ve gotten into this race to give the true conservative Texan an option,” Hunt continued. “And that’s going to be between me and Ken Paxton, because, unfortunately for John Cornyn, he’s not going to make it. This party has left him.” Those words aim to define the choice sharply and position Hunt as the fighter for conservative priorities.
Cornyn’s camp pushed back hard with pointed claims about loyalty and turnout. “Senator Cornyn has voted with President Trump 99.3% of the time he’s been in the White House,” Cornyn campaign senior advisor Matt Mackowiak told Fox News Digital. The campaign used that statistic to argue Cornyn has a steady record of supporting the former president’s agenda.
“Is Wesley Hunt calling President Trump liberal? Wesley Hunt voted for Hillary Clinton in 2008 and didn’t vote for Trump in November 2016,” Mackowiak added, attempting to undercut Hunt’s conservative bona fides. The Cornyn team also highlighted attendance and voting records as proof of steady, if unspectacular, fidelity to GOP priorities.
“He’s missed 27% of all House votes THIS YEAR when President Trump needed him with a 2 or 3 seat margin,” Mackowiak continued. “While show horses like Wesley Hunt run their mouth, Sen. Cornyn works to effectively represent Texas, deliver conservative victories and advance Trump’s agenda.” That attack mixes numbers with character-based language to contrast governance with theater.
Hunt responded by disputing Cornyn’s portrayal and pointing to public conservative scorecards. “He has not stood with the president while he is trying to run ads, and he is saying he has voted with President Trump 99% of the time,” Hunt told Fox News Digital. “We all know that that’s a flat out lie. We also know that his Liberty score is 54%.”
“We also know that he is one of the most liberal senators of all the Senate on the Republican side,” Hunt added, accusing Cornyn of siding with what he called the uniparty and RINOs. That rhetoric is familiar to MAGA-aligned conservatives who view ideological purity and resistance to compromise as essential traits for Republican nominees.
Hunt also pointed to social media posts from the former president criticizing Cornyn for working with Senate leaders on legislation. The posts portrayed Cornyn as part of an establishment effort to make concessions and angered many on the right. Those references are being used to tie Cornyn directly to criticisms that resonate with the primary electorate.
Trump’s own posts were cited as well, including a warning about gun policy that singled out Cornyn. “RINO Senator John Cornyn of Texas” will “go down in history as the first step in the movement to TAKE YOUR GUNS AWAY,” the former president wrote. That kind of public rebuke from Trump carries weight with voters who prioritize Second Amendment issues.
The field also includes Attorney General Ken Paxton, meaning Hunt faces at least one other high-profile conservative with statewide support. If Hunt were to win, he would be the first Black statewide elected official in Texas history, a historic milestone that Hunt downplays in favor of policy and ideology. “not important to me,” Hunt said when asked about the historic nature of such a victory.
“What’s most important to me is the fact that I am an American and people are going to vote for me because of the way I view conservatism, the way I view Texas, and they’re going to judge me not based on the color of my skin, but by the content of my character,” Hunt explained. Paxton could not be reached for comment as the contest continues to unfold and the primary approaches.
