McCain, John
1936–2018
McCain's final years were defined by his institutionalist Republican opposition to the Trump-era GOP — the thumbs-down ACA-repeal vote, the 'regular order' floor speech, his farewell letter warning against tribalism, his Gang-of-Eight immigration reform leadership, his pro-Ukraine and pro-NATO posture, and his treating colleagues across the aisle with respect. Cornyn is the closest current Republican analog to McCain on this ballot: he worked with McCain on Gang of Eight, is a leading Senate Russia/China hawk in the McCain hawkish tradition, voted to certify Biden's 2020 election in McCain-tradition institutional respect, and his BSCA negotiation with Murphy is the kind of cross-aisle 'regular order' work McCain's last floor speech called for. Paxton embodies the populist Trump-era mode that McCain spent his final years warning the GOP against. The widest other-politician margin in Cornyn's favor.
Sources
- Sen. John Cornyn, official Senate website and 2026 re-election campaign issues page, accessed May 2026 (cornyn.senate.gov; johncornyn.com). (full list)
- Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, Pub. L. 117-159 (June 25, 2022); Senate vote 65-33; Cornyn as lead Republican negotiator with Sen. Chris Murphy; NRA 'A+' downgrade letter, June 2022; floor speech June 21, 2022. (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)
- Cornyn votes on Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations (April 2024, $61B package); Cornyn statements on Israel aid and Iron Dome funding; Senate Foreign Relations Committee record on NATO and AUKUS. (full list)
- John McCain's July 28, 2017 vote against ACA repeal; final letter to America (Aug. 2018); 'regular order' Senate floor speech (July 25, 2017); McCain-Cornyn institutional collaboration on judicial reform and Gang of Eight engagement. (full list)