Overview

• Rep. Wesley Hunt formally launched his 2026 Senate bid, turning the Republican contest into a three-way race with Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
• Senate GOP leaders and the NRSC, which support Cornyn, had urged Hunt to stay out, warning his campaign could drain resources and jeopardize the party’s Senate majority.
• Hunt and allied groups have already spent roughly $6–6.5 million on statewide ads, while Cornyn-aligned organizations have aired more than $19–21 million in spots attacking Paxton and boosting the incumbent.
• Polling shows Paxton previously leading with Cornyn narrowing the gap; a three-candidate field increases the likelihood no one tops 50% in March, setting up a May runoff as Trump remains uncommitted.
• Hunt pitches himself as a pro-Trump alternative without Paxton’s legal baggage, as Paxton’s past probes and impeachment acquittal—and his wife’s divorce filing—continue to shadow the race.