How does John Cornyn (Tex) rank as a MAGA Senator?

John Cornyn, the senior U.S. Senator from Texas, is a long-serving Republican first elected in 2002. While he has aligned with many conservative policies and recently emphasized his support for Donald Trump to appeal to the GOP base amid a competitive 2026 primary, he is generally viewed as an establishment Republican rather than a core MAGA (Make America Great Again) figure.

His ranking as a “MAGA Senator” depends on the metric used—voting alignment with Trump, ideological scores, or public perception—but overall, he scores moderately at best among Trump loyalists, with significant criticism from the party’s right wing for being insufficiently aligned.

Voting Alignment with TrumpCornyn’s campaign highlights a strong record of supporting Trump’s agenda until recently:

• During Trump’s first term (2017-2021) and into his second, Cornyn voted in line with Trump’s positions approximately 92-99% of the time, depending on the tally method (e.g., excluding procedural votes). This is higher than fellow Texan Ted Cruz’s 96.6% in some analyses.

• He has voted to confirm all of Trump’s Cabinet nominees and judicial picks, including controversial ones opposed by some Republicans.

• Cornyn endorsed Trump early in the 2024 primary (after the Iowa caucus) and served as Republican Whip during Trump’s first term, helping advance priorities like tax reform and judicial confirmations.

• However, critics dispute these figures and point to key divergences:

• Opponents like Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt claim Cornyn’s true Trump alignment is closer to 69%, accusing him of opposing Trump on nearly one-third of votes, including on immigration and gun issues.

• Cornyn initially expressed skepticism about Trump’s 2024 viability, saying his “time had passed” and that Trump couldn’t win, only shifting to full support after Trump’s primary dominance.

  He has supported bipartisan measures seen as anti-MAGA, such as the 2022 gun safety bill (which included red flag law funding) and aid to Ukraine, which some Trump allies view as establishment priorities over America First policies.

• Ideological Rankings and Scores: Various conservative groups and analyses provide quantitative rankings:

• Institute of Legislative Analysis (ILA): Cornyn is tied for the most liberal Republican in the Texas congressional delegation, based on voting records.

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• Heritage Action Score: As of recent data, Cornyn has a lifetime conservative score of 54-60%, lower than that of more MAGA-aligned senators like Ted Cruz (often 80%+). This reflects votes on issues such as debt-ceiling increases, omnibus spending bills, and immigration reform.

• Trump Loyalty Metrics: In rankings of Senate Republicans by Trump support (e.g., from FiveThirtyEight or similar trackers during Trump’s first term), Cornyn typically falls in the middle to upper tier but below hardliners like Rand Paul or Mike Lee on populist issues.

• The Freedom Index: Posted a lifetime rating of 69%

On a hypothetical scale of 1-10 for MAGA alignment (where 10 is fully aligned like JD Vance ), Cornyn might rank around 4-6. He’s supportive on taxes and judges but criticized for compromising with Democrats on guns, borders, and foreign aid.

Heritage Action Lifetime Score~54-60%

Below Cruz (~85%); similar to Mitch McConnell.

Penalized for bipartisan deals on guns and spending.

ILA Ideological Ranking

Tied for most liberal TX GOP member

Less conservative than Wesley Hunt or Ken Paxton

Based on recent votes, like the Ukraine aid bill.

GOP Base Approval (TX Republicans)

48%

Below Paxton (60%) and Cruz (78%)

Public and Party Perception

• Among Texas GOP voters, Cornyn’s approval is relatively low (48%), and he’s been booed at state conventions for perceived establishment leanings.

• In his 2026 primary, he’s trailing challengers like Paxton (by 16-22 points in polls) among “Trump Movement” voters, who make up ~58% of the GOP electorate and favor Paxton by 45 points.

Paxton and Hunt portray Cornyn as a “RINO” (Republican In Name Only) pretending to be MAGA for the election.

President Trump has not endorsed Cornyn despite repeated requests, and some analyses suggest this reflects MAGA skepticism.

On platforms like X (formerly Twitter), sentiment is largely negative, with users accusing him of anti-Trump stances, supporting open borders, and aligning with Democrats on key issues.

Summary:

Cornyn has a moderate Republican record and has recently embraced Trump rhetoric to fend off primary challengers; he ranks low among pure MAGA senators due to his establishment ties, bipartisan compromises, and past Trump skepticism. If you’re measuring by Trump loyalty alone, he’s above moderates like Susan Collins but below firebrands like Josh Hawley.

His 2026 reelection will be a key test of MAGA influence in Texas.