Paxton met with supporters behind closed doors, gave the keynote address at the Ronald Reagan dinner and held court during a private reception.
Sen. John Cornyn R-Texas walks through the Capitol Rotunda on Capitol Hill on Friday, March 20, 2026, in Washington. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at the Ronald Reagan dinner during the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas, Friday, March 27, 2026.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at the Ronald Reagan dinner during the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas, Friday, March 27, 2026. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at the Ronald Reagan dinner during the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas, Friday, March 27, 2026. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at the Ronald Reagan dinner during the Conservative Political Action Conference in Dallas, Friday, March 27, 2026. Sen. John Cornyn R-Texas walks through the Capitol Rotunda on Capitol Hill on Friday, March 20, 2026, in Washington. Letters: BART had its chance to right-size service, financesSenate pushes back on Trump’s military threats against Venezuela with war powers voteBarabak: The Senate is a mess. Jeff Merkley wants to fix it, from the inside. He met with supporters behind closed doors, gave the keynote address at the Ronald Reagan dinner and held court during a private reception where people lined up for handshakes and photos. Audiences cheered for Paxton and booed any mention of Sen. John Cornyn, Paxton’s opponent in the May 26 runoff.“I want you to know, there’s only one reason I got through all that, and it’s by the grace of God,” he said in his Friday night speech as a wave of applause rolled through the hall. “He absolutely delivered me, and he used to people of Texas to deliver me.”to clinch the nomination outright. Although Cornyn has raised far more money and is backed by the party establishment in Washington, Paxton’s well-honed survival skills could lead him to victory., a state lawmaker, in what will be one of the most closely watched Senate races as Republicans try to retain their grip of Congress. Cornyn did not attend CPAC, which was held at a resort and convention center near Dallas. Paxton was the overwhelming favorite in CPAC’s straw poll, beating Cornyn by more than three to one, and he won the organization’s endorsement.“The real benefit of Paxton is that he is more an ally of Trump,” said Luke Brown, a 21-year-old college student from Amarillo, Texas. “There’s got to be a change for newer conservatives.Although Cornyn finished first in the primary, which also included Rep. Wesley Hunt, Paxton swiftly appealed to Trump by embracing legislation known as the SAVE Act, which would mean new, strict proof-of-citizenship requirements for voting. The proposal is a priority for the president, but it hasPaxton said he would consider stepping aside if the legislation passed and accused Cornyn of being a “coward.” About a week later, Cornyn reversed his position on the filibuster and wrote in an op-ed that “I support whatever changes to Senate rules that may prove necessary.”“Unfortunately, John Cornyn has never been focused on this issue until right now, when I called him out on it,” he told supporters.Joe Ropar, a 72-year-old defense contractor who attended CPAC, described Paxton’s ability to preempt Cornyn as “brilliant.”While Cornyn did not attend CPAC, which was held at a resort and convention center near Dallas, Paxton was extolled by speakers throughout the event. “Ken Paxton is emblematic of the grassroots of the MAGA movement across the nation,” said Steve Bannon, a former Trump adviser who hosts the “War Room” podcast, referring to Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan. Earlier Friday, CPAC senior fellow Mercedes Schlapp polled the crowd. Asking for a show of support for Paxton, there was a roar of cheers. When she asked about Cornyn, there was a light ripple of boos.Paxton reminded conservatives here of another connection with Trump: They both have portrayed themselves as the victims of political persecution. While Paxton was impeached and acquitted once, Trump went through the process twice during his first term. Some conservative Republicans hold other grudges against Cornyn. They remember his early criticism of Trump’s proposal for a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border in 2016, his co-sponsoring of gun control legislation after the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, in 2022, and his dismissive remarks about Trump’s comeback campaign in 2024. Retired music teacher Valerie Burge, 58, said she voted for Cornyn in the primary because of his long service.Barbara Palmer, a 65-year-old lawyer, said Cornyn had simply been in office for too long. He has been a judge, state supreme court justice and state attorney general, and now he wants a fifth term as senator.Dear Abby: If I can't see the baby, then I want my money backFremont High School students struggle to cope after ex-trainer’s arrest for murder‘Five Nights at Epstein’s’ game goes viral at US school campusesGreat America hits 50. It may not make it to 52
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