John Cornyn Is Fighting to Be GOP Leader. He May Also Be Fighting for His Political Life.

The Texas senator has a rocky relationship with the MAGA right.

John Cornyn
In his leadership campaign, Sen. John Cornyn told his colleagues that it’s imperative the Senate hit “the ground running to implement President Donald Trump’s agenda.” J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Sen. John Cornyn wants to be Senate leader. If he succeeds, it could help him win his next election.

Cornyn has won each of his elections by a comfortable margin, but the incumbent Republican, who first won his seat in 2002, has developed a rocky relationship with the right over the years — one that could invite a serious challenger in 2026.

The MAGA influencer-verse has come out strongly against his leader bid (Tucker Carlson called him an “angry liberal” on X) and has since been joined by several of Texas’ county Republican parties, which published statements saying that their members don’t support their fellow Texan for leader.