Rising GOP star Rep. Wesley Hunt is launching a long-shot Texas Senate bid, scrambling a heated primary between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and the state’s attorney general, Ken Paxton.
The race for the Republican nomination in the Lone Star State will likely be one the most expensive and bruising primary contests of the 2026 midterm cycle — and some Democrats see an opportunity in the red-leaning state if Republicans surrender their incumbent advantage. Already, Paxton has an edge in most polling of the primary race against Cornyn, though the incumbent senator has closed the gap in more recent surveys. President Donald Trump has yet to endorse in the contest.
Hunt’s announcement on Monday comes after months of work and millions of dollars spent by groups aligned with the two-term congressman to boost his profile outside of his Houston-area political base.
“The time is NOW,” Hunt said in a post on his X account that included a campaign video of testimonials from his wife, brother and longtime colleagues playing up his military record and his commitment to public service. It also included images of him standing next to Trump and made no mention of either of his primary opponents.
Now a three-way battle for the GOP nomination, some Republican strategists anticipate none of the candidates will garner enough votes to win the March 3 primary outright, likely forcing a runoff in May. Privately, some establishment Republicans worry that Hunt’s entry in the race could boost Paxton. Over the summer, the establishment-aligned Senate Leadership Fund urged leaders to boost Cornyn’s embattled reelection campaign, arguing in memo obtained by POLITICO in August that Paxton is a “weak candidate who puts the Senate seat at risk in the general election.”
Responding to news that Hunt had launched his bid, SLC communications director Chris Gustafson said, “It’s unfortunate that Wesley Hunt has decided to abandon President Trump’s efforts to protect the House majority and instead his person ambition… With every credible poll showing him in a distant third place, the only person celebrating today is a giddy Chuck Schumer.”
Hunt published a video on X on Monday in which he said that he takes “offense” to the “establishment” criticizing his bid. “I assure you, this is not a vanity project.”
Cornyn is in the political fight of his career as he looks to court a base that’s increasingly viewed him as disloyal to Trump, particularly after the senator said that Trump could not win the 2024 presidential election before eventually endorsing him the following year. According to internal polling from Cornyn’s campaign conducted last month, Hunt received 17 percent of the vote in a hypothetical three-way matchup. It also found Cornyn garnered 32 percent to Paxton’s 31 percent support.
“John Cornyn is a battle-tested conservative who continues to be a leader in delivering President Trump’s agenda in the U.S. Senate and he’s the best candidate to keep Texas in the Republican Senate Majority,” National Republican Senatorial Committee communications director Joanna Rodriguez said in a statement. “Now that Wesley has chosen personal ambition over holding President Trump’s House Majority, there will be a full vetting of his record. Senator Cornyn’s conservative record of accomplishment stands tall against Wesley’s.”
But Paxton has some vulernabilities of his own. He survived an impeachment inquiry in 2023 where he was acquitted of 16 articles stemming from misuse of power, corruption and bribery. He is also in the midst of a bitter divorce from state Sen. Anglea Paxton, who said she was seeking an end to their 38-year-marriage on “biblical grounds,” publicly accusing him of adultery.
Hunt has made his closeness to Trump a key part of his pitch. He served as a surrogate for the president on the campaign trail last year, working alongside fellow Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) to boost Trump’s standing among Black voters.
During his initial runs for Congress, Hunt received the Trump endorsement, including in 2020 when he narrowly lost a bid to unseat then-Democratic incumbent Rep. Lizzie Fletcher for a Houston-area seat. Following the 2020 census, Texas added two new congressional districts and the state’s GOP-led Legislature drew the 38th Congressional District, which is the seat Hunt currently holds. Hunt notched a 26 percentage point win last year.
Trump’s endorsement is seen as pivotal in GOP primary. To receive it, Hunt will likely have to prove he can raise money at the same rate as Cornyn and Paxton. In the most recent campaign finance reports, Hunt raised just over $400,000 for the quarter ending in July — impressive for a member that faces little opposition but far short of what he’d need to mount a serious statewide bid. Meanwhile, Paxton hauled in $2.9 million for the same period while Cornyn’s political operation pulled in $3.9 million, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.
Democrats also have a contested primary. Former Rep. Colin Allred, a Dallas Democrat who fell short in his push to unseat GOP Sen. Ted Cruz last year, is facing off against state Rep. James Talarico, a rising star.
, 2025-10-06 13:18:00, 
