Ken Paxton announces $2.9 million in Senate campaign fundraising
AUSTIN, Texas - Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a $2.9 million fundraising haul in the first report since announcing his campaign to challenge Sen. John Cornyn for his U.S. Senate seat.
Paxton announced he would challenge Cornyn on April 8, one week after the fundraising period started. The fundraising period covers the beginning of April through the end of June.
What they're saying:
"I've been incredibly honored and blown away by the support I've received since launching my campaign. The grassroots movement to fire John Cornyn continues to grow stronger every single day, and this is only just the beginning," Paxton said.
Still, Paxton is likely facing a fundraising deficit against Cornyn, who has not reported his fundraising for the last quarter.
According to data from the Federal Election Commission, Cornyn had more than $5.5 million on hand at the end of the first quarter of 2025.
The Texas Ethics Commission shows Paxton as having an additional $2.8 million in his state campaign war chest. Federal guidelines do not allow for a transfer of funds from a nonfederal campaign to a federal campaign, though it does allow for a candidate to return contributions and for the federal campaign to seek donations from those same people.
2026 Elections
What's next:
The 2026 elections will be important in Texas.
In addition to voting for U.S. Senate, Texans will have an opportunity to vote for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, among several other positions.
Cornyn is seeking his fifth term in the Senate.
Primary elections will be held in March with runoff elections in May.
So far, only one Democrat has announced a campaign for U.S. Senate.
Former congressman Colin Allred announced on July 1 that he would be running for Senate.
The 41-year-old ran for Senate in 2024 against Sen. Ted Cruz, ultimately losing in a highly-contested and expensive campaign.
The Source: Information on Ken Paxton's fundraising comes from a release from his Senate campaign. Information on Paxton's state fundraising comes from the Texas Ethic Commission. Information John Cornyn's fundraising comes from the Federal Election Commission.