There’s one official candidate running for the United States Senate in 2026 – the man who has the job now – John Cornyn. However – we’re watching three other possibilities, including familiar faces. NBC 5’s Phil Prazan has details.
Arguably, the most important elections in the state are less than a year away. Because the Republicans have an advantage statewide and most legislative districts are drawn to favor one party over the other, the March 2026 primary will largely decide who is in office for the next four years.
Senator John Cornyn also launched his campaign. Three other big-name Texans may also make a play for the seat.
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WATCH HERESenator John Cornyn's campaign launched their first TV ad, crediting him with getting Trump Supreme Court justices confirmed and framing him as a key ally with the President on immigration issues and the economy.
"In President Trump's first term, I was Republican whip, delivering the votes for his biggest wins," Cornyn touted in the ad.
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SIGN UP Cornyn's likely opponent and frequent critic, Attorney General Ken Paxton, responded online, calling him "delusional" and accusing Cornyn of working to "undermine the President."
Paxton has not yet officially launched a campaign but he's sent serious signals traveling to D.C. for political events and saying publicly he's thinking about his next steps. If Paxton does run, that may usher in a scramble for his statewide position from officeholders in lower positions in the state legislature.
“Republicans have been itching for a long time for a shake up. It’s been pretty much stable since 2014. Now we have a situation where there’s some movement. They’re ambitious. They’re ready to run for higher office," said Gromer Jeffers with the Dallas Morning News.
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2026 is shaping up to be quite a battle, not only for the U.S. Senate seat, but Governor, Lt. Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller, Commissioner of Agriculture, and Land Commissioner are all positions on the ballot next cycle.
Earlier this year, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced he will not be running again and instead taking a position as Chancellor of the Texas A&M System. That prompted Railroad Commissioner Christi Craddick and former State Senator Don Huffines to jump into the race for that open position. Just Thursday, Senator Cruz endorsed Huffines.
In an unexpected move, former Dallas Congressman Colin Allred told the co-host of Lone Star Politics, Gromer Jeffers with the Dallas Morning News, he was "seriously considering" running for U.S. Senate again.
“I’m looking at it and seriously considering it,” Allred said. “This is a time for everybody to realize just what’s at stake and how important it is that we all stay involved.”
Only a few months ago, Allred lost to U.S. Senator Ted Cruz.
"They (Allred and his team) feel like if they can make some tweaks, the environment will be better for Democrats, particularly if Trump stumbles," said Jeffers.
On Thursday, former Congressman Beto O'Rourke plans to hold a campaign-style rally in Fort Bend County with former Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz, the Governor of Minnesota.
