Cato favors free markets, free trade, civil liberties, criminal-justice reform, drug-policy reform, dovish foreign policy, executive-power skepticism, and pro-legal (often near-open) immigration. Cornyn wins more Cato points than Paxton on free trade (USMCA, anti-Trump-tariffs), on legal-immigration pathways (Gang-of-Eight engagement), and on the institutional-process integrity Cato treats as foundational. Paxton wins on tax cuts, deregulation, Second Amendment, and school choice but loses on drug-war enforcement (Cato has been clear: prohibition fails), forum-shopping abuse of AG power, Trump tariffs, and DACA lawsuits. Both lose on Cato's dovish foreign-policy preferences (Cornyn is the leading Senate Russia hawk).
Sources
- Ken Paxton for U.S. Senate, official campaign issues page, accessed May 2026. (full list)
- Sen. John Cornyn, official Senate website and 2026 re-election campaign issues page, accessed May 2026 (cornyn.senate.gov; johncornyn.com). (full list)
- Texas Attorney General, 'Attorney General Ken Paxton Sues Five Cities Over Marijuana Policies,' Jan. 2024; lawsuit against Dallas Proposition R, Nov. 2024. (full list)
- Cornyn vote on S. 744, Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act, June 27, 2013; RESULTS Act / Cornyn-Heller substitute amendment; 'border surge' Cornyn-Hoeven amendment incorporated into the bill. (full list)