In a heated battle for the Texas 2026 U.S. Senate Republican primary, incumbent Senator John Cornyn is under fire for his controversial role in pushing gun control.
Cornyn championed the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), but now denies involvement. Gun Tests magazine called for Cornyn’s ouster in the September 2022 issue.
Gun Tests Editor Todd Woodard wrote that in passage of the act, “…[S]ome Republican senators have gone soft. Fifteen of them rolled over earlier in the year to pass a bill negotiated in part by Soft John Cornyn (R-TX), whom I will work to get primaried out in Texas if he chooses to run for his Senate seat again in 2026.”
Then in the January 2025 issue, Woodard wrote, “Because the BSCA was heavily promoted by Texas Republican Senator John Cornyn, I’ll endorse whomever challenges Cornyn in the state’s 2026 Republican primary.”
Cornyn’s primary challenger is current Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who currently leads in most polling in the state.
The act, which Cornyn championed alongside Democrats, expanded background checks, tightened restrictions, and introduced new federal firearms offenses — moves many Texas gun owners view as a betrayal of their rights. See Cornyn’s statement about his support of the bill in the video clip at the bottom.
Texas Gun Rights President Chris McNutt told Breitbart News, “Cornyn’s denial of his anti-gun record is an insult to every Texan who values their Constitutional freedoms. His leadership in passing Biden’s gun control bill is a clear violation of the trust placed in him by voters.”
McNutt emphasized that Cornyn proudly touted the 2022 legislation at the time.
Paxton has positioned himself as a staunch defender of the Second Amendment. In a statement on X, Paxton declared, “Texans haven’t forgotten Cornyn’s cozy deal with Biden to restrict our gun rights. We need a Senator who fights for the Constitution, not against it.”
Cornyn has attempted to deflect criticism of the bill, claiming the 2022 legislation imposes “no restrictions on law-abiding Texans.” However, Texas Gun Rights and the National Association for Gun Rights argue that measures like expanded background checks and incentives for “red flag” gun confiscation laws potentially allow the government to disarm citizens without due process.
Texas Gun Rights’ McNutt said, “The Second Amendment isn’t negotiable. Texans deserve a senator who will defend our rights without compromise, and Cornyn’s track record proves he’s not that leader.”
