Texas U.S. Senate race: Sen. John Cornyn speaks on experience, potential runoff

GOP Texas Senate race: Cornyn speaks on experience

The race for Texas’ U.S. Senate seat is shaping up to be one of the most competitive republican primaries the state has seen in decades. Sen. John Cornyn spoke about his experience and opponents.

AUSTIN, Texas - The race for Texas’ U.S. Senate seat is shaping up to be one of the most competitive republican primaries the state has seen in decades.

Incumbent Senator John Cornyn is seeking a fifth six-year term, facing challenges from the left and right, and potentially a runoff.

In the republican primary, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is walking away from his statewide office to take on Cornyn, while two-term Houston-area Congressman Wesley Hunt is also giving up his seat in Congress to join the race.

Cornyn speaks on experience in the Senate

What they're saying:

Senator Cornyn said his experience and the relationships he has built over the years in Washington are key to delivering results for Texas.

"A lot of relationships are really important in the Senate because there are only 100 of us, and I think that's helped me be more effective," Cornyn said.

Cornyn points to border security funding as an example.

"Governor Abbott called me up, and he said he wanted the state to be reimbursed for the money we spent on border security while the Biden administration refused to do so, and so we were able to secure $11.1 billion in reimbursement for Texas taxpayers. That's hard to do, particularly if you're a new person, and you don't have those relationships or that experience," Cornyn said.

Paxton and Cornyn feud opinion

An opinion released on Martin Luther King Jr. Day is now fueling a political fight between Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Senator John Cornyn ahead of the race for U.S. Senate.

He also highlighted legislation targeting illegal immigration, expanding rural health care, and investing in mental health services and school security.

"We made the single largest investment in community-based mental health care in American history, and we provided additional security for our schools because I believe that no child should have to go to school worried about their safety and no parent should have to send their kid to school worried, are they going to be safe or not?" Cornyn said.

Cornyn said his national security work also sets him apart.

"I'm a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and so we are constantly learning more and more about how we might keep America strong and deter wars," Cornyn said.

Cornyn speaks on opponents

Dig deeper:

Cornyn’s sharpest attacks are aimed at his top rival, Paxton, who has survived years of political controversy, including impeachment by the Texas House and eventual acquittal in the Senate.

"The attorney general has got enormous baggage… to me, this race really boils down to a test of character. He's betting that character no longer matters to Texans. The character still does matter, and it has to matter," Cornyn said.

Cornyn argued the baggage could put a traditionally red Senate seat at risk if Paxton becomes the nominee.

"There will be hundreds of millions of dollars spent trying to salvage the Republican Senate seat in Texas if he's the nominee, and he may not win," Cornyn said.

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Cornyn said he believes Congressman Wesley Hunt will not ultimately win, but could still play a major role in forcing a runoff.

"He can force a runoff, because neither one of us will be able to get 50% plus one. I'd love to be wrong about that," Cornyn said.

He said the stakes go beyond Texas and even beyond the Senate.

"As we've heard the President say, if we lose the House majority, then the Democrats will probably try to impeach him again, so the best insurance against that happening is for me to win the runoff and to be the nominee," Cornyn said.

FOX 7 Austin reached out to Paxton multiple times for an interview, but he hasn't responded.

What's next:

On the democratic side, two of the state’s most prominent democrats, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, of Dallas, and Austin State Representative James Talarico are facing off for their party’s nomination.

Early voting begins February 17, with the primary election day set for March 3.