Mon May 19 11:10:00 UTC 2025: ## Cornyn Trails Paxton in Early Senate Primary Poll; Hunt Weighs Run

**Updated: May 18, 2025 / 3:50 PM CDT**

**AUSTIN (CBSDFW.COM) -** Tensions are escalating in the Republican primary race for U.S. Senate in Texas as a new voter survey reveals Attorney General Ken Paxton leading incumbent Senator John Cornyn by a significant margin. The poll, commissioned by the Senate Leadership Fund and first reported by Punchbowl News, shows Paxton garnering 56% of the vote compared to Cornyn’s 40%.

The potential entry of Houston-area Congressman Wesley Hunt into the race appears to significantly alter the dynamic. When Hunt was included in the poll, Paxton’s lead over Cornyn diminished to 44% to 34%, with Hunt capturing 19% of the vote.

The same survey, conducted between April 27 and May 1, also explored hypothetical general election matchups. While Cornyn edges out former Democratic Congressman Colin Allred of Dallas by six percentage points, Hunt holds a slim one-point lead, and Paxton trails Allred by a single point.

The poll results have sparked a heated exchange between Cornyn and Paxton on social media platform X. Cornyn, referencing the narrowing lead with Hunt in the mix, tweeted, “His lead is shrinking, and the battle has just begun! He must be getting nervous.” Paxton retorted, “Imagine being delusional enough to celebrate a poll showing you down 16 points after being in office for 40 years.” Cornyn then pointed out Paxton’s potential vulnerability in a general election, to which Paxton replied, “You said the same thing about President Trump – we saw how that went for you.”

Cornyn previously expressed concerns that Paxton, as the Republican nominee, could lose to a Democrat in the general election, potentially jeopardizing Texas’s Republican stronghold.

Congressman Hunt has been openly considering a run for the Senate seat. He stated last month, “If opportunities present themselves that would make it palatable for me to run, I would absolutely consider it.”

The Republican primary is scheduled for March. In the Democratic field, Colin Allred and Beto O’Rourke are reportedly considering launching campaigns for the seat.

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