Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s U.S. Senate campaign released its first political advertisement of the hotly contested Senate primary race targeting Sen. John Cornyn, marking an escalation in a race that’s been expected to have plenty of fireworks.
The ad centers on past remarks by U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett praising Cornyn’s bipartisan cooperation, a theme Paxton’s campaign is using to frame the incumbent senator’s record as increasingly aligned with cross-party dealmaking. The release comes as Cornyn’s Republican challengers have publicly criticized him for declining to participate in debates.
The advertisement strings together clips in which Crockett describes Cornyn as “helpful” and a “partner,” and references Cornyn’s prior remark that he offered to be her “dance partner” in the Senate. The spot also includes stylized visuals as part of the campaign’s contrast messaging.
Debate Pressure Builds
The ad’s release coincides with renewed scrutiny from Cornyn’s GOP opponents over his decision not to engage in debates with Republican challengers. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Cornyn declined multiple debate invitations — including a candidate forum hosted by The Dallas Express and co-sponsored by both Dallas and Tarrant County Republican Parties as well as many prominent conservative clubs, including Dallas County Young Republicans, Park Cities Republican Women, American Jewish Conservatives, and others — while both Paxton and Congressman Wesley Hunt publicly pressed for public debates.
Both Paxton’s and Hunt’s campaigns agreed to The Dallas Express forum while Cornyn’s campaign respectfully declined. Those candidates sit down for separate interviews with DX this coming Monday. The invitation to Senator Cornyn’s campaign to attend DX’s candidate forum as well as to sit down for an interview remains open. The Cornyn campaign has respectfully declined to date.
Editor’s note: The Dallas Express does not endorse political candidates.
The debate dispute has become a central point in the primary, according to Cornyn’s challengers, who argue voters are being denied direct engagement with the incumbent, going so far as to accuse Texas’ Senior Senator who finished as the runner-up for Senate Majority Leader to John Thune just last year of running a “Biden Basement Campaign”.
Broader Campaign Context
Cornyn’s campaign has faced sustained pressure within the Republican primary over both messaging and record. Earlier The Dallas Express reporting documented Cornyn’s efforts to secure President Donald Trump’s backing despite past public clashes, including bipartisan gun legislation that drew criticism from Trump and other Republican figures.
Cornyn has also faced criticism over prior campaign advertising tactics, including a separate ad that drew attention for selectively editing remarks attributed to Trump — underscoring how campaign media itself has become a recurring issue in the race.
Comments and clips highlighting Crockett’s praise of Cornyn’s bipartisan approach have circulated widely on social media in recent months, a theme Paxton’s campaign now elevates through paid media as the primary intensifies.
Democrat @JasmineForUS Crockett praises Senator @JohnCornyn for working with Democrats and says he’s not actually MAGA — he’s just trying to fool Trump supporters because he’s losing to @KenPaxtonTX! pic.twitter.com/cHj3e1VCxA
— Lone Star Liberty PAC (@LoneStar_PAC) August 6, 2025
Campaign Positions
In statements accompanying the ad, Paxton argued the contrast highlights what he describes as a fundamental difference between Cornyn’s tenure in Washington and Paxton’s record as attorney general.
Cornyn, meanwhile, has publicly dismissed Crockett’s general election prospects. In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, Cornyn said, “I think she is unelectable in a general election in Texas. Texas is still a conservative red state. She can’t win, so I’m really happy she’s decided to run.”
The Road Ahead
Paxton is challenging Cornyn in the 2026 Republican Senate primary alongside U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt. With debates unresolved and advertising ramping up, the race is entering a more confrontational phase as candidates move to define Cornyn’s record — and their own — before Republican primary voters.
Paxton sits down for an interview with The Dallas Express today, January 16, and with Congressman Hunt on Monday, January 19.
