Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) broke his fundraising record in Q4 as the Texas Senate primary heats up in the final months before the GOP face-off on March 3.
Cornyn hit $7 million in the final quarter of 2025, bringing his cash on hand to $15 million in the final month and a half before the early March primary Election Day. Cornyn has been embroiled in a competitive and costly primary challenge to defend his seat against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a staunch conservative, and Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX).
Cornyn hopes his fundraising numbers, first reported by Politico, will give him a leg up as he fights for a coveted endorsement from President Donald Trump, who has not yet weighed in on the closely watched 2026 midterm race. Polls have shown a hotly contested primary race, with various pollsters predicting that Cornyn and Paxton will lead the GOP pack. Cornyn’s campaign confirmed his fundraising numbers to the Washington Examiner on Monday.
“Senator Cornyn has never raised more in one fundraising quarter than he did in the fourth quarter of 2025,” Andy Hemming, Cornyn’s campaign manager, said in a statement to the Washington Examiner. “Texans understand that President Trump’s legislative agenda and the Senate Republican majority are at risk unless Sen. Cornyn is the nominee. We are executing our plan to win this race, and we will win.”
TEXAS SENATE RACE SHAPES UP TO BE 2026 MIDTERM BARN BURNER
Cornyn has served four terms in the Senate since 2002 and is facing one of the most serious intra-party challenges in his congressional career. His campaign has portrayed the threat of Paxton’s primary win as a win for Democrats in the general election, due to his hard-line conservative views and the scandals in his portfolio.
However, Paxton’s team has shrugged that off. A person close to the campaign told the Washington Examiner in December, “There’s no concern for Paxton.”