Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's decision to challenge U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in the 2026 GOP primary is creating an opening for a statewide office that comes with a high profile and a national reach.

Last week, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced a primary challenge to incumbent Republican Sen. John Cornyn. Two big names have already thrown their hat in the ring to replace Paxton.

Texas voters will see something they've rarely seen this century thanks to Attorney General Ken Paxton. When the Republican announced last week that he would run for the U.S. Senate, it set the stage for just the third open-seat battle for the attorney general's office since the year 2000.