Shock poll reveals GOP playboy ahead of veteran Republican in crucial state race

A MAGA incumbent senator's re-election hopes could beryllium successful jeopardy aft a bombshell caller canvass showed him down 16 points to his flashy 'playboy' superior opponent.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is good up of Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) according to polling from the Senate Leadership Fund (SLF). 

The SLF canvass archetypal reported by Punchbowl News shows Cornyn trailing Paxton, 34 percent to 50 percent, with 17 percent of respondents noting that they were undecided.

In a hypothetical three-way contention including Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas), Paxton inactive prevailed with 44 percent of respondents supporting him. Cornyn took 2nd spot with 34 percent, and Hunt came successful 3rd astatine 19 percent. 

President Donald Trump has not yet issued an endorsement successful the GOP primary contest. 

He told a property gaggle connected Air Force One connected April 25th that helium wished that Paxton and Cornyn were not moving against each other.

'In a way, I privation they weren't moving against each other. … I'll marque a determination determination on the line,' Trump stated astatine the time.

First elected successful 2002, Cornyn is facing an uphill reelection conflict up of 2026 midterm cycle.

Despite the canvass results, the SLF is putting connected a brave look publicly.

'The numbers don't prevarication – John Cornyn is successful a acold amended aboriginal presumption than Ken Paxton,' the group's communications manager Chris Gustafson told Punchbowl.

'Texans lone request 1 speedy look astatine Paxton's grounds earlier his enactment plummets, and it's wide helium would hazard delivering the Senate bulk to Chuck Schumer,' Gustafson concluded.

In a hypothetical wide predetermination match-up, Cornyn prevails implicit Democrat Colin Allred by 6 points. Allred challenged Senator Ted Cruz past cycle, and is considering different tally successful 2026. 

In 2022, Cornyn archetypal drew the ire of conservatives erstwhile helium was a pb sponsor of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act successful the aftermath of the schoolhouse shooting successful Uvalde, Texas. 

The authorities passed some chambers of Congress was signed into instrumentality by erstwhile President Joe Biden, and included provisions regarding enhanced inheritance checks for firearms purchases by individuals nether 21 years of age.

Paxton himself is acold from a flawless candidate. 

The Texas lawyer wide was impeached by the Texas House successful 2023 implicit charges of corruption and bribery, earlier being acquitted by the Texas Senate. 

Paxton was besides accused of having an extramarital affair which helium allegedly concealed from his woman Angela, herself a subordinate of the Texas State Senate who was disqualified from voting connected her husband's impeachment. 

Paxton formerly entered the contention for the Senate past month, and has not yet released fundraising numbers. 

Cornyn presently has implicit $5.5 cardinal currency connected hand. per FEC reporting through the extremity of March. 

Cornyn run elder advisor Matt Mackowiak told the Daily Mail that 'Senator Cornyn has a 99% voting grounds with Trump arsenic President and continues to beryllium his adjacent legislative ally..

'In 10 months, erstwhile Texas GOP superior voters wholly recognize the grounds of some candidates, we are assured we volition win,' helium added.

The Paxton run did not instrumentality a petition for remark from the Daily Mail.