John Cornyn
John Cornyn III
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Who is this?
John Cornyn III ( KOR-nin; born February 2, 1952) is an American politician and former judge who is the senior United States senator for Texas, a seat he has held since 2002. He is a member of the Republican Party. Born in Houston, Cornyn is a graduate of Trinity University, St. Mary's University School of Law, and the University of Virginia School of Law. He was a judge on Texas's 37th District Court from 1985 to 1991, an associate justice of the Texas Supreme Court from 1991 to 1997, and Attorney General of Texas from 1999 to 2002. He was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2002. During his tenure, Cornyn chaired the National Republican Senatorial Committee from 2009 to 2013 and served as the Senate Republican whip from 2013 to 2019. Cornyn has been described as an establishment Republican. Although considered conservative by voting record, he has a reputation for bipartisan negotiation on gun legislation and immigration reform. In 2022, he helped negotiate passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, for which he was rebuked by the Republican Party of Texas. Cornyn ran for re-election in 2026. After narrowly coming in first place but failing to receive more than 50% in the Republican primary, he went to a runoff against Texas attorney general Ken Paxton. Cornyn lost renomination in the May runoff, receiving approximately 36% of the vote. Cornyn is the first incumbent Texas senator to lose renomination since 1970.
Career
- 1952Born
- 2015Won James Madison Award
Trivia
- •Place of birth: Houston
- •Citizenship: United States
- •Known as: politician, lawyer, judge
What happened recently
Texas Senators Cruz, Cornyn express concerns over President Trump and VP Vance's Iran deal
Cornyn, Colleagues’ Bill to Prevent Foreign Adversaries from Influencing U.S. Policy Passes Senate Foreign Relations Committee - Senator Cornyn (.gov)
John Cornyn Blames Trump for Coming Midterm ‘Disaster,’ Predicts He’ll Pay for It With ‘the Most Miserable Two Years of His Life’
John Cornyn signals dropping Trump highway bill after president backs primary foe
John Cornyn Says He's Not Interested In Renaming Highway After Trump After Endorsement Snub
Ousted GOP Senator John Cornyn Loses Interest in Suck-Up Highway Project After Trump Endorsement Snub
John Cornyn backs off project to rename Texas highway after Donald Trump following loss to Trump
Eight Senate Republicans broke ranks this week. John Cornyn, spurned by Trump in his primary, didn’t.
Eight Senate broke Republicans ranks this week. John Cornyn, spurred by Trump in his primary, didn't.
Texas lawmaker vows to name highway after Trump as Cornyn retreats from his own effort
John Cornyn's Revenge? Plan to Rename Major Highway After Trump Put on Ice
'We are not done yet': John Cornyn doubles down on supporting Trump's failures, says ending Iran war ASAP is 'serious mistake'
Cornyn Discusses Preventing Iran From Getting a Nuclear Weapon with Sec. Rubio
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