Sen. John Cornyn is facing backlash after claiming he outraised Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton by $1 million — a statement contradicted by campaign finance filings.
According to second-quarter reports, Cornyn raised $803,952, while Paxton brought in $2.9 million — a $2.1 million difference in Paxton’s favor.
“Wow. Hey @JohnCornyn, you told the entire public yesterday that you outraised me by $1 million when in fact you knew that I outraised you by $2.1 million,” Paxton wrote on X. “Question: Are you really that bad at math or did you purposely mislead the public about the truth?”
The claim drew swift criticism from conservative activists and Cornyn’s primary challengers.
“He always wants to mislead the public. It’s what he’s been doing for years,” Republican Senate candidate Alexander Duncan posted on X.
“Cornyn is both an idiot and a liar. Perfect combo for the deep state puppeteers,” added an X user under the name “Cool Hand Longhorn.”
Despite public filings showing otherwise, legacy outlets including the Texas Tribune and Axios reported that Cornyn outraised Paxton by $1 million.
Cornyn currently trails Paxton by 15 points in the GOP Senate primary, according to polling cited by the Texas Tribune.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Cornyn’s communications director, Matt Mackowiak, is under scrutiny after conservative influencers — including Laura Loomer — accused him of financially supporting a Florida sex worker. Mackowiak has denied the allegation.
The Dallas Express reached out to Sen. Cornyn’s campaign for comment but did not receive a response.