Country music singer John Rich threw his support behind Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in his run for U.S. Senate.
Rich endorsed Paxton in a social media post shared May 12 on X.
“I fully support @KenPaxtonTX as the next US Senator from the great state of Texas,” he said. “@JohnCornyn has proven himself time and time again to be a saboteur of the Conservative agenda. He, TH-om Tillis, and others, need to be defeated in 2026.”
The star’s endorsement came a month after he compared Cornyn to Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham.
“Cornyn is the Lindsey Graham of Texas…and that’s about the WORST thing you could say about someone in my book,” Rich wrote April 9 on X.
“@KenPaxtonTX Go get ’em!” Rich said.
President Donald Trump endorsed Graham for re-election in March.
PunchBowl News reported May 12 that Cornyn trails Paxton by 16 points in a new poll the Senate Leadership Fund, a super-PAC supported by GOP leadership, sponsored.
National Republican Senatorial Committee chair and Republican South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott endorsed Cornyn on April 9 in a message shared on X.
“John Cornyn is a leader who delivers on President Trump’s agenda and for the people of Texas in the U.S. Senate. He’s a proven fighter, man of faith, and essential part of the Republican Senate Majority,” Scott wrote. (RELATED: Donald Trump’s Warren Zeiders Endorsement Is Taking Country Music By Storm)
Cornyn has criticized Paxton, previously impeached and then acquitted over allegations of corruption while in office, by calling him a “con man,” according to Houston Public Media.
Paxton pushed back by saying Cornyn is not conservative enough and has slammed the incumbent senator for his voting record on gun rights and foreign aid.
