18 GOP Reps Who Voted to Impeach AG
Try Again to Take Him Out in Senate Fight
Capitol Inside
March 26, 2026
Eighteen Texas House Republicans who voted for Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment three years ago are trying again to end his career in politics after throwing their support behind incumbent John Cornyn for a primary runoff fight in the U.S. Senate race that's crowning the ballot here this year.
Only one of the state representatives who've endorsed Cornyn in overtime - retiring State Rep. Sam Harless of Houston - opposed Paxton's impeachment in a historic House vote during the final weekend of the regular session in 2023. The endorsements that Cornyn's campaign unveiled on Friday includes a pair of freshmen lawmakers who were not around when 60 House Republicans joined 61 Democrats in the vote to impeach the state's top lawyer on corruption charges connected to a donor and a mistress.
The Cornyn supporter list which campaign operative Mack Mackowiak posted on X also features seven congressional Republicans from Texas along with GOP State Senators Robert Nichols of Texarkana and Charles Perry of Lubbock. Nichols, who's not running again this year, was one of two Senate Republicans who voted to convict the attorney general in a trial in the Capitol's east wing where he was cleared by the chamber's other GOP members in September 2023. .
The federal legislators who are backing the veteran senator in the runoff include U.S. Reps. Jake Ellzey of Waxahachie, Craig Goldman of Fort Worth, Nathaniel Moran of Tyler, Pete Sessions of Waco, Randy Weber of Pearland and Roger Williams of Weatherford along with a colleague who isn't on the ballot again in 2026 in U.S. Reps. Michael McCaul of Austin.
“I’m honored to have the endorsement of many longtime friends in Texas politics, who I have gotten to know during our time in office and with whom I’ve been proud to work,” Cornyn said. "I’ve always worked hard to earn the trust of our elected officials, so we can roll up our sleeves and work together for the betterment of all Texans. I look forward to continuing our important work together upon my re-election to the United States Senate.”
Most of the 21 Texas House members who are backing Cornyn should come as no surprise given their votes for the impeachment resolution that prompted Paxton's suspension from the elected post for several months until his acquittal by Republicans in the Texas Senate. But Cornyn declined to speculate on why the lawmakers waited for three weeks after the primary election to endorse him or why his camp postponed an announcement if they'd been on board before now.
The senator offered no explanations on why an equal number of GOP lawmakers who voted to impeach the attorney general had not committed to his campaign even though few have appeared to be on board with Paxton for the battle.
While the Cornyn endorsement list did not include the biggest fish in the Texas House - Republican Speaker Dustin Burrows - who'd voted for the AG's impeachment when Dade Phelan was still leading the lower chamber in 2023. But the Paxton list did feature 15 committee chairs who Burrows had appointed after winning the gavel on opening day of the regular session in 2025.
Cornyn's backers include State Rep. Ken King of Canadian as the chairman of the powerful State Affairs Committee. State Reps. Brad Buckley of Salado, Morgan Meyer of Dallas and Jeff Leach of Allen - the chairs of the Public Education Committee, the Ways & Means Committee and the Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee respectively - appeared on the Cornyn endorsement list.
The Natural Resources Committee chairman - State Rep. Drew Darby of San Angelo - is supporting Cornyn along with the House Administration Committee chair - State Rep. Charlie Geren of Fort Worth. The list of House chairs on the Cornyn endorsement list includes State Reps. Angie Chen Button of Garland, Cody Harris of Palestine, Brooks Landgraf of Odessa, Matt Shaheen of Plano, Gary VanDeaver of New Boston, Terry Wilson of Georgetown and Phelan.
State Reps. Mano DeAyala of Houston, Janie Lopez of San Benito, Candy Noble of Lucas and Carl Tepper of Lubbock - along with rookie Republican State Reps. Jeff Barry of Pearland and Denise Villalobos of Corpus Christi - appear on the list of legislators in the incumbent senator's camp for OT.
more to come ....
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