John Cornyn, the disgraced Republican senator who lost his primary in historic fashion, is advocating for the ability of Democrats to vote in Republican primaries in Texas.
Good for him! It is the law. Why exclude people who want to vote for Republicans in our primary and why would we want to narrow our base of support leading into general elections? https://t.co/i6xDvq7cXr
— Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) August 15, 2026
Cornyn has found himself on the opposing side of the primary issue as the Republican Party of Texas and Attorney General Ken Paxton. Paxton and the RPT, which launched a lawsuit to force a change, argue that the Texas Election Code unlawfully prevents Republicans from ensuring that only Republicans can dictate who wins their party’s nomination during the primary election season.
Advocates for closed primaries, especially in red states like Texas, argue that open primaries allow for members of the opposing party to cross over and influence the outcomes of the party’s decision, leading to weak moderates or the easiest-to-beat candidate on the ticket.
Cornyn, who shelled out more than $100 million in hopes of defeating a grassroots rejection of his candidacy, rejected the idea of prohibiting Democrats from participating in Republican primaries. Cornyn claimed that the move would “narrow our base of support leading into general elections.”
His statement came after the new Texas Secretary of State Robert Howden announced that he would continue to oppose Paxton’s lawsuit on the basis that the issue should be solved by the state legislature. Howden’s filing made no argument as to whether or not Texas primaries should be open or closed, but only argued against the methodology Paxton and the RPT are using to achieve that end.
Cornyn fiercely advocated in favor of open primaries while battling with Paxton and Wesley Hunt in the time leading up to the March primaries. Cornyn likewise attempted to cozy-up to President Donald Trump while his endorsement was still in play, but, shortly after losing the primary to Paxton, Cornyn’s tune changed.
Cornyn dropped an effort to rename a Texas highway after Trump, became a vocal critic of the effort to pass the SAVE Act, and stalled Attorney General Todd Blanche’s confirmation until the Department of Justice killed the weaponization fund.
Now, Cornyn will sit on the sidelines as Paxton takes on Democrat Senate candidate James Talarico for control of his seat in the November midterm election.