John Cornyn lost to Ken Paxton by 28 points one week ago.
Now he's working to make sure Paxton loses in November too.
What he just did – and what he said when conservatives caught him – is something Texas Republicans need to see before it's too late.
Cornyn Boosts Libertarian Spoiler in Texas Senate 2026 General Election
The primary between John Cornyn and Ken Paxton was one of the nastiest in Texas history.
Cornyn called Paxton a con man, a crook, and a fraud – on camera, repeatedly, without apology.
Paxton won by 28 points anyway, then traveled to Washington to meet with Republican senators and bury the hatchet.
Cornyn stood before his supporters on election night and said he had "always supported the GOP ticket" and intended to do so again.
A senator with any dignity left would have taken that off-ramp.
Instead, Cornyn posted a Houston Public Media piece on X with the caption "Rut roh."
The article: "Libertarian Ted Brown courts disaffected conservative voters in Texas' U.S. Senate race."
Brown's entire campaign pitch is aimed at Republicans who lost the primary and want a way to punish Paxton without voting Democrat. He pulled more than 267,000 votes in the 2024 Texas Senate race – a record for a Libertarian in state history.
Political scientists at Southern Methodist University have already noted that even 2–4% drawn disproportionately from Republican voters could decide a potentially tight race.
Polling has Paxton and Democrat James Talarico essentially tied.
Cornyn didn't stumble onto this article. "Rut roh" is a knowing wink – a signal to every Cornyn voter still nursing a grudge that there's a place to put it.
He Denied the Post While It Was Still Live
When conservatives called out the amplification, Cornyn replied to coverage of his post with two words: "Fake news."
The original post was still up when he typed it.
X's Community Notes flagged the denial immediately. Cornyn then tried to clarify, posting that "fake news" referred only to the characterization that he was "promoting" Brown – not that he had shared the article.
The distinction fooled nobody. Sharing an article with "Rut roh" and promoting it are the same action.
This is the same senator who pledged on election night to back the Republican ticket. Less than a week later, he told CNN he stands by every attack he made on Paxton during the primary, hasn't spoken to Paxton since the race was called, and has no plans to.
That's not a man supporting the Republican ticket. That's a man hoping the Republican loses.
Why Cornyn Wants Paxton to Lose the Texas Senate Race
Paxton enters the general with real advantages. He's won statewide three times. Texas Democrat JamesTalarico is introducing himself to Texas voters from a far-left Austin state House seat, giving Republicans the opening to define him before he can define himself.
Prediction markets give Paxton roughly a 60% shot.
But Cornyn lost 248 of Texas's 254 counties. He didn't just lose – he got repudiated by the base he spent 24 years claiming to represent.
A Paxton defeat in November wouldn't just flip a Senate seat. It would hand Cornyn his revenge. He'd get to tell Washington he was right – that the MAGA base cost Republicans a seat they should have held, that Paxton was unelectable, that everything Cornyn warned about came true.
His endorsement of Paxton costs him nothing. He's leaving the Senate regardless. His refusal to give it isn't about principle – and his promotion of a third-party spoiler targeting conservative voters isn't an accident.
Cornyn proved that conservative voters in Texas were right to doubt him and his alleged support of Trump.
Sources:
- Joseph Chalfant, "Sore Loser John Cornyn Pushes Interview Promoting Ken Paxton's Libertarian Competition," Townhall, June 2, 2026.
- Nick Arama, "What the Heck? John Cornyn's New Post About TX Senate Race Is Raising Eyebrows," RedState, June 3, 2026.
- Joseph Chalfant, "John Cornyn Is Crashing Out Over His Horrendous Electoral Loss," Townhall, June 3, 2026.
- Andrew Schneider, "Libertarian Ted Brown courts disaffected conservative voters in Texas' U.S. Senate race," Houston Public Media, June 2, 2026.
- Staff, "Ken Paxton cruises to big win against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in Texas GOP primary runoff," Houston Public Media, May 26, 2026.