John Cornyn

John Cornyn

Republican Party

U.S. Senate Texas

Tenure

2002 - Present

Term ends

2021

Years in position

17

Prior offices

Texas Supreme Court Place 7

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Attorney General of Texas

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Compensation

Base salary

$174,000

Net worth

(2012) $698,511

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 3, 2020

Education

Bachelor's

Trinity University

Law

St. Mary's School of Law

Other

University of Virginia

Personal

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Official Twitter

Official Instagram

Official YouTube

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

John Cornyn (Republican Party) is a member of the U.S. Senate from Texas. He assumed office on December 2, 2002. His current term ends on January 3, 2021.

Cornyn (Republican Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. Senate to represent Texas. He won in the general election on November 3, 2020.

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Cornyn served as the Senate Majority Whip from 2013-2019.

Cornyn served as a Bexar County district court judge from 1984 to 1990. He went on to serve on the Texas Supreme Court from 1990 to 1997. Cornyn then served as Texas Attorney General from 1999 until his election to the U.S. Senate in 2002.

2020 battleground election

See also: United States Senate election in Texas, 2020

Incumbent John Cornyn (R) defeated M.J. Hegar (D), David B. Collins (G), Kerry McKennon (L), and Ricardo Turullols-Bonilla (I) in the November 3, 2020 general election for U.S. Senate in Texas.

Cornyn was first elected in 2002. In the 2014 election, he defeated David Alameel (D) 62% to 34%. At the time of the 2020 election, Democrats had last won a statewide election in Texas in 1994. In the preceding U.S. Senate election, incumbent Ted Cruz (R) defeated then-Rep. Beto O'Rourke (D) 51% to 48%.

Hegar ran for Texas' 31st Congressional District House seat in 2018, where she lost to incumbent John Carter (R) 48% to 51%.

The outcome of this race affected partisan control of the U.S. Senate. Thirty-five of 100 seats were up for election, including two special elections. At the time of the election, Republicans had a 53-45 majority over Democrats in the Senate. Independents who caucus with the Democrats held the two remaining seats. Republicans faced greater partisan risk in the election. They defended 23 seats while Democrats defended 12. Both parties had two incumbents representing states the opposite party's presidential nominee won in 2016.

Elections

2020

See also: United States Senate election in Texas, 2020

United States Senate election in Texas, 2020 (March 3 Republican primary)

United States Senate election in Texas, 2020 (March 3 Democratic primary)

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Texas

Incumbent John Cornyn defeated Mary Jennings Hegar, Kerry McKennon, David B. Collins, and Ricardo Turullols-Bonilla in the general election for U.S. Senate Texas on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Cornyn (R)	53.8	5,669,704
		Mary Jennings Hegar (D)	43.7	4,606,710
		Kerry McKennon (L)	1.8	194,979
		David B. Collins (G)	0.7	74,307
		Ricardo Turullols-Bonilla (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	1,809

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Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Source

Total votes: 10,547,509

Democratic primary runoff election

Democratic primary runoff for U.S. Senate Texas

Mary Jennings Hegar defeated Royce West in the Democratic primary runoff for U.S. Senate Texas on July 14, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mary Jennings Hegar	52.1	498,180
		Royce West	47.9	457,555

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There were no incumbents in this race. Source

Total votes: 955,735 (100.00% precincts reporting)

Democratic election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Texas

The following candidates ran in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Texas on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mary Jennings Hegar	22.3	417,160
✔		Royce West	14.7	274,074
		Cristina Tzintzún Ramirez	13.2	246,659
		Annie Garcia	10.3	191,900
		Amanda Edwards	10.1	189,624
		Chris Bell	8.5	159,751
		Sema Hernandez	7.4	137,892
		Michael Cooper	4.9	92,463
		Victor Harris	3.2	59,710
		Adrian Ocegueda	2.2	41,566
		Jack Daniel Foster Jr.	1.7	31,718
		D.R. Hunter	1.4	26,902

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There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 1,869,419

Republican election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Texas

Incumbent John Cornyn defeated Dwayne Stovall, Mark Yancey, John Castro, and Virgil Bierschwale in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Texas on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Cornyn	76.0	1,470,669
		Dwayne Stovall	11.9	231,104
		Mark Yancey	6.5	124,864
		John Castro	4.5	86,916
		Virgil Bierschwale	1.1	20,494

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Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 1,934,047

Green convention

Green convention for U.S. Senate Texas

David B. Collins advanced from the Green convention for U.S. Senate Texas on April 18, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		David B. Collins (G)

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There were no incumbents in this race.

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for U.S. Senate Texas

Kerry McKennon defeated Wes Benedict in the Libertarian convention for U.S. Senate Texas on August 3, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Kerry McKennon (L)
		Wes Benedict (L)

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There were no incumbents in this race.

Candidate profile

John Cornyn

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: Yes

Political Office: 

• U.S. Senate (Assumed office: 2002)
• Texas Attorney General (1999-2002)
• Texas Supreme Court (1990-1997)
• Bexar County district court judge (1984-1990)

Biography: 

Cornyn received a B.A. from Trinity University, a J.D. from St. Mary's School of Law, and a Master of Laws degree from the University of Virginia. He worked as an attorney. Cornyn served as chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee from 2009 to 2012 and as Republican Party whip from 2013 to 2018.

Key messages

• Cornyn said his accomplishments included working for Hurricane Harvey relief, strengthening the criminal background check system, reducing the backlog of untested rape kits, passing tax cuts, and cracking down on human trafficking.

• Cornyn's campaign ads said he secured relief funds for local school districts and hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic.

• A Cornyn campaign ad said Hegar was too liberal for Texas and would not compromise. It said she supported cap-and-trade, higher taxes, government-controlled healthcare, defunding police, and legalizing prostitution.

Sources: John Cornyn's 2020 campaign website, "Home," accessed October 9, 2020; YouTube, "TexasForJohnCornyn, Videos," accessed October 9, 2020; Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "Cornyn, John," accessed October 9, 2020

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

U.S. Senate in Texas, 2020: General election polls
Poll	Date	Cornyn	Hegar	Undecided/Other	Margin of error	Sample size	Sponsor
Data for Progress	Oct. 27-Nov. 1	50%	47%	3%	± 3.2	926	--
Morning Consult	Oct. 22-31, 2020	47%	43%	--	± 2	3,267	--
University of Massachusetts Lowell/YouGov	Oct. 20-26, 2020	49%	44%	10%	± 4.2	873	--
University of Texas/Dallas Morning News	Oct. 13-20	42%	34%	23%	± 3.2	925	--
Quinnipiac	Oct. 16-19	49%	43%	8%	± 2.9	1,145	--

Click [show] to see older poll results
Poll	Date	Cornyn	Hegar	Undecided/Other	Margin of error	Sample size	Sponsor
Data for Progress	Oct. 15-18	43%	36%	22%	± 3.2	933	Crooked Media/Indivisible
Public Policy Polling	Oct. 14-15	49%	46%	5%	+/- 3.7	712	--
Civiqs	Oct. 3-6	47%	46%	7%	± 3.4	895	Daily Kos
Data for Progress	Sept. 30-Oct. 5	45%	42%	14%	± 2.2	1,949	Indivisible
YouGov	Sept. 25-Oct. 4	50%	42%	8%	± 3.3	908	University of Texas / Texas Tribune
University of Massachusetts Lowell/YouGov	Sept. 18-25, 2020	50%	40%	10%	± 4.3	882	--
Data for Progress	Sept. 15-22, 2020	40%	38%	22%	± 3.6	726	Defend Students Action Fund
YouGov	Sept, 15-18, 2020	46%	41%	13%	± 3.5	1,161	CBS News
Public Policy Polling	Sept. 1-2, 2020	44%	40%	15%	--	743	Giffords
University of Texas-Tyler	Aug. 28 - Sept. 2, 2020	39%	28%	33%	± 3.3	901	The Dallas Morning News
Data for Progress	Aug. 20-25, 2020	46%	40%	15%	± 2.0	2,295	Texas Youth Power Alliance
SPRY Strategies	July 16-20, 2020	47%	37%	16%	± 3.5	750	Latino Decisions
YouGov	July 7-10, 2020	44%	36%	20%	± 3.4	1,179	CBS News
University of Texas-Tyler	June 29 - July 7, 2020	42%	29%	27%	± 2.4	1,677	The Dallas Morning News
Fox News	June 20-23, 2020	46%	36%	18%	± 3.0	1,001	N/A
University of Texas-Tyler	April 18-27, 2020	37%	24%	40%	± 2.9	1,183	The Dallas Morning News
Marist College	Feb. 23-27, 2020	49%	41%	11%	± 2.5	2,409	NBC News

Campaign finance

This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election. It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are automatically updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees.

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
David B. Collins	Green Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available
Ricardo Turullols-Bonilla	Independent	$0	$0	$0	Data not available
John Cornyn	Republican Party	$25,196,621	$27,183,279	$3,803,468	As of December 31, 2016
Mary Jennings Hegar	Democratic Party	$24,262,715	$17,450,224	$6,859,973	As of October 14, 2020
Kerry McKennon	Libertarian Party	$11,502	$8,799	$4,469	As of October 14, 2020
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," . * According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election.

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from three outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato's Crystal Ball. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

• Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
• Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
• Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.
• Tossup ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.

Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in Texas, 2020
Race tracker	Race ratings
	November 3, 2020	October 27, 2020	October 20, 2020	October 13, 2020
The Cook Political Report	Lean Republican	Lean Republican	Lean Republican	Lean Republican
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Lean Republican	Lean Republican	Lean Republican	Lean Republican
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Lean Republican	Likely Republican	Likely Republican	Likely Republican
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season.

Endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes links to endorsement lists published on campaign websites, if available. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.

Click the links below to see endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites, if available.

• John Cornyn
• M.J. Hegar

Noteworthy endorsements
Endorsement	Cornyn (R)	Hegar (D)
Newspapers and editorials
The Dallas Morning News editorial board	✔
The Austin American-Statesman editorial board		✔
The Houston Chronicle editorial board		✔
Elected officials
President Donald Trump (R)	✔
Gov. Greg Abbott (R)	✔
Individuals
Former President Barack Obama (D)		✔
2020 Democratic presidential nominee/Former Vice President Joe Biden		✔

2014

See also: United States Senate elections in Texas, 2014

Cornyn won re-election in the 2014 election for the U.S. Senate, representing Texas. He defeated Curt Cleaver, Ken Cope, Chris Mapp, Reid Reasor, Steve Stockman, Dwayne Stovall and Linda Vega in the primary election on March 4, 2014. He then defeated David Alameel (D), Rebecca Paddock (L) and Emily Marie Sanchez (G) in the general election on November 4, 2014.

Cornyn hired a campaign manager with ties to fellow senator Ted Cruz, in an attempt to appeal to a broader Republican base in 2014. The goal of this move was to avoid a potential primary challenge in 2014.

U.S. Senate, Texas General Election, 2014
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	John Cornyn Incumbent	61.6%	2,861,531
	Democratic	David Alameel	34.4%	1,597,387
	Libertarian	Rebecca Paddock	2.9%	133,751
	Green	Emily Marie Sanchez	1.2%	54,701
	Write-in	Mohammed Tahiro	0%	988
Total Votes				4,648,358
Source: U.S. House Clerk "2014 Election Statistics"

U.S. Senate, Texas Republican Primary, 2014
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
John Cornyn Incumbent	59.4%	781,259
Steve Stockman	19.1%	251,577
Dwayne Stovall	10.7%	140,794
Linda Vega	3.8%	50,057
Ken Cope	2.6%	34,409
Chris Mapp	1.8%	23,535
Reid Reasor	1.6%	20,600
Curt Cleaver	0.9%	12,325
Total Votes		1,314,556
Source: Texas Secretary of State

Endorsements

Despite a pledge to steer clear of endorsing incumbents, Ted Cruz financially backed a handful of Senate Republicans, including fellow Texan John Cornyn.

Cruz’s leadership political action committee, Jobs Growth and Freedom Fund, made only five donations in the first six months of its existence, and all of those dollars went to incumbents. On May 10, 2013, according to Federal Election Commission records, Cruz wrote a $2,500 check to the campaign of Cornyn.

Cruz also handed out four other $2,500 donations to incumbents that same day: Jim Inhofe, Mike Lee (Utah), Jim Risch and Tim Scott, who was appointed to the Senate after Jim DeMint resigned and ran in 2014 for the remaining years of DeMint’s term.

Cruz was also endorsed by the NRA Political Victory Fund. It stated, “The choice is clear for law-abiding gun owners and sportsmen in the U.S. Senate Republican primary election in Texas, and that choice is John Cornyn.”

Tea-party opposition

Texas tea-party activists helped fuel an unsuccessful primary challenge to Cornyn in his 2014 Senate bid. This came after Cornyn withdrew his support from Senator Mike Lee (Utah)'s efforts to defund the Affordable Care Act.

2008

On November 4, 2008, John Cornyn won re-election to the United States Senate. He defeated Richard Noriega (D) and Yvonne Adams Schick (L) in the general election.

U.S. Senate, Texas General Election, 2008
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	John Cornyn incumbent	54.8%	4,337,469
	Democratic	Richard Noriega	42.8%	3,389,365
	Libertarian	Yvonne Adams Schick	2.3%	185,241
Total Votes				7,912,075

Full history

To view the full congressional electoral history for John Cornyn, click [show] to expand the section.

2002 On November 5, 2002, John Cornyn won election to the United States Senate. He defeated Ron Kirk (D), Scott Lanier Jameson (L), Roy Williams (G) and James Wright (Write-in) in the general election. U.S. Senate, Texas General Election, 2002 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican John Cornyn 55.3% 2,496,243      Democratic Ron Kirk 43.3% 1,955,758      Libertarian Scott Lanier Jameson 0.8% 35,538      Green Roy Williams 0.6% 25,051      Write-in James Wright 0% 1,422 Total Votes 4,514,012

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

John Cornyn did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Cornyn’s campaign website stated the following:

“	Immigration and Border Security "We must take immediate action to secure our borders and to fix our broken immigration system. The people of Texas demand results, not more broken promises from Washington." -Senator John Cornyn As a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee which handles immigration and border security issues, Sen. Cornyn is a leader on issues that affect the lives of Texans every day. He strongly believes that securing our southern border must be a top priority in dealing with our national security and our broken immigration system. Sen. Cornyn believes common-sense reforms are needed to improve legal immigration and increase the flow of legitimate trade and travel through our ports of entry. Economic & Fiscal Responsibility "The role of the government is not to create wealth, but to foster an environment where America's entrepreneurial spirit can thrive and achieve great things. We must help the economy grow, encourage the creation of jobs and opportunities, and help Americans keep more of their hard-earned money to save and spend as they see fit." -Senator John Cornyn Senator Cornyn believes that the goal of our economic policies should be to create an environment that fosters economic production, job growth, and an increase in real wages. The key to a prosperous economy is reducing the high level of taxation on Americans and businesses that has stunted their economic growth. Tax relief will allow American businesses to innovate and create jobs, and allow American families to keep more of what they earn. In 2017, the Senate passed the most comprehensive tax reform in the last three decades, and you can learn about this historic legislation here. Congress must also be careful stewards of your tax dollars, focusing on lowering annual deficits and recovering from our $22 trillion debt so future generations can enjoy the same opportunities available today. By eliminating excessive spending and increasing economic activity over time, we can reduce the current budget deficit. Science & Technology "Our ability to innovate is crucial to the success of our economy and competitiveness with other countries. Investing in science and technology, and increasing our ability to innovate, is an important part of keeping the economy in Texas and America strong." -Senator John Cornyn Senator Cornyn believes innovation is crucial to our growing economy. Career and technical education are important building blocks that increase America’s competitiveness in a global economy, fostering workforce development here at home. Instilling a strong foundation of the science, technology, education, and math (STEM) fields in our youth will help them succeed as citizens and individuals in any field they may choose. By investing in science and technology education initiatives, we equip new workers with valuable skills required for success — encouraging innovation and energizing our economy. Education "Children are our nation's most valuable resource, and it is essential that every child has an equal opportunity to improve their future and develop to their fullest potential through a quality education." -Senator John Cornyn As the father of two daughters educated in public schools, Senator Cornyn believes every child deserves the best start in life, and that means access to a first-class education system. He understands the necessity of helping all children achieve their potential and knows that good schools strengthen our society by giving young Texans a strong foundation to help them succeed as citizens and individuals. Senator Cornyn understands the results we want for our children require accountability for education providers but that federal bureaucracy and red tape keep us from reaching it. That is why his efforts in the Senate are focused on providing states and local school districts the freedom to design innovative, educational programs that fit the needs of each child and individual school districts. He believes higher education provides individuals with opportunities for success and economic mobility, whether that means an associate’s degree, a workforce certification, or a bachelor’s degree and beyond. For this reason, he has supported expanding aid for low-income students, increasing dual-credit or early college courses, and implementing market-based reforms to federal loan interest rates to help students and parents. Military & Veterans "As the son of a veteran, I am personally dedicated to looking out for the interests of all military personnel, active and retired, who call Texas home. The honor-bound agreement between our men and women in uniform and our nation does not end at retirement. No veteran should ever be forgotten." -Senator John Cornyn Senator Cornyn learned the value of patriotic service to our country from his father who spent 31 years in the military, beginning as a B-17 pilot in World War II. Growing up in an Air Force family and moving from base to base, Sen. Cornyn saw firsthand the sacrifices made by those who dedicate themselves to defending freedom at home and abroad. Senator Cornyn knows our nation can never do enough to repay those who have selflessly served and sacrificed for our country. He is committed to making certain that our nation’s active duty, National Guard, and Reserve military forces receive the best training, equipment, and education, and that our veterans receive the highest-quality health care, services, and benefits they so rightly deserve. Texas is home to almost one in every 12 U.S. service members, as well as 15 major military installations and several defense production facilities that manufacture critical military aircraft vital to sustaining American air superiority. These programs are good for Texas and good for America, providing thousands of high-paying jobs while producing the tools our military needs to dominate the modern battlefield and keep our nation safe. Energy & Environment "We need more energy. Government should get out of the way, let the free market work, and allow more domestic energy production. This would reduce gas prices even in the near-term, expand job opportunities in Texas — a world energy leader — and reduce our dependence on foreign oil." -Senator John Cornyn Senator Cornyn is an ardent proponent of maximizing Texas’ and America’s energy resource potential as a comprehensive approach for our nation. In the Senate, he has supported efforts to encourage conservation while increasing the responsible production of our domestic sources of fossil fuels, and exploring alternative sources to make our nation more energy secure. Texas is the nation’s leading producer of oil and natural gas, and Texas refineries make up almost 30 percent of the nation’s refinery capacity. Texas is also a trailblazer in the area of renewable energy, including wind, solar, and biomass, and our state leads the nation in wind-powered electricity generation capacity. The energy industry is creating millions of American jobs and helping to fuel our economic growth. Senator Cornyn knows that the keys to supporting our robust energy sector include creating a competitive tax and policy environment, providing for a trained workforce, and ensuring sensible regulation. Senator Cornyn supports environmental policies that ensure economic viability while protecting public health. However, he opposes efforts by federal agencies to expand their regulatory reach beyond their legal authority. Under the Obama Administration, there were numerous examples of EPA overreach and abuse of authority. Senator Cornyn fought those efforts and believes environmental regulations should be based on the best available science and risk-based standards. Agriculture "Agriculture is vital to the Texas economy; one in seven jobs in our state is related to the agriculture industry. We must ensure that the United States continues to enjoy the safest and most abundant food supply in the world." -Senator John Cornyn Texas is the leading farming and ranching state, and one in seven jobs in Texas are related to the agriculture industry. Farming and ranching are sewn into the fabric of Texas history and agriculture remains a driver of the Texas economy, and Sen. Cornyn is committed to ensuring Texas agricultural producers have a voice in the Senate. Texas is the leading farming and ranching state, and one in seven jobs in Texas are related to the agriculture industry. Farming and ranching are sewn into the fabric of Texas history and agriculture remains a driver of the Texas economy, and Sen. Cornyn is committed to ensuring Texas agricultural producers have a voice in the Senate. Healthcare "When it comes to health care, Texans deserve lower costs, better coverage, and greater access. The status quo is unacceptable. Premiums have skyrocketed, coverage options have disappeared, and small businesses have struggled under crushing taxes and mandates. Texas families need more options, not less, so that they can pick the plan that's right for them." -Senator John Cornyn From introducing bills to lower prescription drug prices to supporting efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare, I have fought in the Senate for everyday Texans worried that an unexpected hospital stay, medical bill, or charge at the pharmacy counter could put a strain on their finances or send them into bankruptcy. By taking decision-making out of the hands of Washington bureaucrats and giving it to states, doctors, and patients, Congress can provide Texans with a health care system that fits their needs. Crime & Law Enforcement "Fighting dangerous criminals and providing justice to victims are some of our most important commitments. I will always stand strong for our law enforcement officers, making sure they have the resources needed to keep Texas safe and secure." -Senator John Cornyn Sen. Cornyn knows firsthand the dedication of the men and women who protect our fellow Texans. While serving as Attorney General of Texas, the state's chief law enforcement officer, Sen. Cornyn created and backed numerous initiatives to strengthen law enforcement, including the groundbreaking Texas Exile program, which increases penalties for criminal gun use by convicted felons, and the Texas Internet Bureau, which targets child predators and human traffickers. Senator Cornyn has taken his Texas experience to the United States Senate, advocating for issues that bolster law enforcement through his work on the Judiciary Committee. He believes that local, state, and federal authorities must work together as partners to enforce the law, and that they must be given the legal tools and funding resources necessary to do their jobs well. He believes policymakers in Washington, D.C. can learn many commonsense lessons from the successes of the Texas criminal justice system. Click here for information on Senator Cornyn's bill, the Fix NICS (National Instant Criminal Background Check System) Act. Foreign Affairs & National Security "We must always remember that our government's primary responsibility is to protect and defend the American people and advance the interests of the United States." -Senator John Cornyn A clear foreign policy strategy is critical as we face a growing number of threats to America’s national security. Senator Cornyn has consistently supported responsible intelligence gathering efforts and constructive diplomatic relationships with strategic partnerships around the world to ensure Texans and all Americans are safe here at home.	”
—John Cornyn’s campaign website (2020)

Campaign ads

"Hooked" - Cornyn campaign ad, released October 30, 2020

"Cope" - Cornyn campaign ad, released October 19, 2020

"Health" - Cornyn campaign ad, released October 16, 2020

"Detective" - Cornyn campaign ad, released October 2, 2020

"Radio Ad" - Cornyn campaign ad, released September 25, 2020

"Jenna" - Cornyn campaign ad, released September 23, 2020

"Untested" - Cornyn campaign ad, released September 23, 2020

"Tranquilo" - Cornyn campaign ad, released September 10, 2020

"Senator Cornyn in the RGV" - Cornyn campaign ad, released August 24, 2020

"Cares" - Cornyn campaign ad, released August 24, 2020

"Jobs" - Cornyn campaign ad, released March 6, 2020

"Disaster Relief" - Cornyn campaign ad, released March 6, 2020

"Judges" - Cornyn campaign ad, released March 6, 2020

• "Will Be Covered" - Cornyn campaign ad, accessed October 14, 2020

2014

Cornyn's campaign website listed the following issues:

• Federal Budget and Debt

Excerpt: "For far too long government spending has run amok, resulting in trillion-dollar deficits, a ballooning national debt, and a government that now borrows forty cents out of every dollar it spends from places like China. As our nation continues to head down a fiscally-unsustainable path, Senator Cornyn will keep fighting to preserve the American Dream for the next generation of Texans."

• National Defense

Excerpt: "Senator Cornyn is committed to ensuring a strong military that has the resources necessary to meet the challenges our nation faces and preserve our way of life for the next generation of Texans."

• Economy and Jobs

Excerpt: "To jump start the economy, Senator Cornyn has introduced plans to live within our means by reforming our convoluted tax code, ease Washington regulations on Texas businesses, and tap into the abundant energy resources we have here at home."

• Health Care

Excerpt: "Senator Cornyn believes that the President's health care law must be repealed and replaced with patient-centered reforms that lower costs and increase access. Under the President's health care law, Texans continue to face skyrocketing premiums, employers are abandoning plans to expand and laying off workers, and Washington bureaucrats – not patients and their Doctors – are making treatment decisions."

• Tax Relief

Excerpt: "Most folks know you can't tax and spend your way out of a recession, and Senator Cornyn continues to fight the Obama Administration's permanent campaign to raise taxes on Texas families and small businesses. He has consistently voted to protect taxpayers, allowing Texans to keep more of their hard-earned money in their wallets instead of sending it to Washington."

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Cornyn's academic, professional, and political career:

• 2002-Present: U.S. Senator from Texas
• 1999-2002: Texas state attorney general
• 1990-1997: Texas supreme court
• 1984-1990: Bexar County district court judge

Committee assignments

U.S. Senate

2019-2020

Cornyn was assigned to the following committees:^[Source]

• Committee on Intelligence (Select)
• Committee on Finance
• Committee on the Judiciary

2017-2018

At the beginning of the 115th Congress, Cornyn was assigned to the following committees:

• United States Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control
• Committee on Intelligence (Select)
• Committee on Finance
• Committee on the Judiciary

2015-2016

Cornyn served on the following committees:

• Finance Committee
  • Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight
  • Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure
  • Subcommittee on International Trade, Customs, and Global Competitiveness, Chairman
• Judiciary Committee
  • Subcommittee on The Constitution, Chairman
  • Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism
  • Subcommittee on Immigration and The National Interest

2013-2014

Cornyn served on the following Senate committees:

• Committee on Finance
  • The Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight
  • The Subcommittee on Healthcare
• Committee on the Judiciary
  • Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security Ranking Member
  • Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law
  • Subcommittee on The Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights

2011-12

Cornyn was a member of the following Senate committees:

• Armed Services Committee
• Committee on Finance
  • Subcommittee on Energy, Natural Resources, and Infrastructure
  • Subcommittee on Health Care
  • Subcommittee on Taxation, IRS Oversight, and Long-Term Growth
• Committee on the Budget
• Committee on the Judiciary
  • Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights
  • Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security Ranking Member
  • Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security
  • Subcommittee on the Constitution

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 116th Congress, 2019-2020

Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress

Key votes (click "show" to expand or "hide" to contract)

Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018 For detailed information about each vote, click here. Votes on domestic policy (click to expand) Voted Yea on: First Step Act of 2018 (S 756)  Motion Agreed to (87-12) on December 18, 2018 Proposed making changes to the criminal justice system. Voted Yea on: Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 (HR 2)  Conference Report Agreed to (87-13) on December 11, 2018 Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance through fiscal year 2023. Voted Yea on: "Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States" (PN2259)  Nomination Confirmed (50-48) on October 6, 2018 Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Voted Yea on: "Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States" (PN2259)  Cloture Motion Agreed to (51-49) on October 5, 2018 Brett M. Kavanaugh, of Maryland, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Voted Yea on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (HR 2)  Bill Passed (86-11, 3/5 majority required) on June 28, 2018 Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance. Voted Yea on: Immigration reform proposal from Sen. Chuck Grassley and the Trump administration (S Amdt 1959 to HR 2579)  Cloture Motion Rejected (39-60, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018 Proposed providing a path to citizenship for 1.8 million individuals brought into the U.S. without legal permission as children, $25 billion for border security, limits on chain migration or family-based migration, and eliminating the visa lottery system. Voted Nay on: Immigration reform proposal from the Common Sense Coalition (S Amdt 1958 to HR 2579)  Cloture Motion Rejected (54-45, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018 Proposed providing a path to citizenship for individuals brought into the U.S. without legal permission as children, $25 billion for border security, and limitations on chain or family-based immigration. Voted Yea on: Stop Dangerous Sanctuary Cities Act amendment (S Amdt 1948 to S Amdt 1959)  Cloture Motion Rejected (54-45, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018 Proposed withholding funding from sanctuary jurisdictions for not cooperating with federal immigration officials. Voted Nay on: Coons-McCain immigration plan (S Amdt 1955 to S Amdt 1958)  Cloture Motion Rejected (52-47, 3/5 majority required) on February 15, 2018 Proposed providing a path to citizenship for individuals brought into the U.S. without legal permission as children and conducting a study to determine what border security measures were needed. It also proposed requiring the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to secure the U.S.-Mexico border by 2021. Voted Yea on: Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (S 2311)  Cloture on the Motion to Proceed Rejected (51-46, 3/5 majority required) on January 29, 2018 Proposed amending the federal criminal code to make it a crime for any person to perform or attempt to perform an abortion if the probable post-fertilization age of the fetus was 20 weeks or more. The bill proposed providing exceptions for an abortion: (1) that was necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or (2) when the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest. Voted Yea on: An amendment to repeal the requirements for individuals to enroll in health insurance and for employers to offer it—"Skinny bill" (S Amdt 667 to S Amdt 267 to HR 1628 the American Health Care Act of 2017)  Amendment Rejected (49-51) on July 28, 2017 The amendment proposed repealing the requirements for individuals to enroll in health insurance and for employers to offer it. Voted Yea on: An amendment to repeal the ACA, including Paul amendment (No. 271) (S Amdt 271 to S Amdt 267 to HR 1628)  Amendment Rejected (45-55) on July 26, 2017 An amendment to repeal the ACA, including Paul amendment (No. 271) Voted Yea on: Motion to advance the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017, including Cruz and Portman amendments (S Amdt 270 to S Amdt 267 to HR 1628)  Motion Rejected (43-57, 3/5 majority required) on July 25, 2017 A procedural vote to advance the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 (BCRA), including the Cruz and Portman amendments. Voted Yea on: Motion to begin debate on the American Health Care Act of 2017 (HR 1628)  Motion to Proceed Agreed to (50-50, Vice President voted Yea) on July 25, 2017 Proposed providing for reconciliation pursuant to title II of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2017. Voted Yea on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55(4)—confirmation vote)  Nomination Confirmed (54-45) on April 7, 2017 Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—confirmation vote. Voted Yea on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55(3))  Cloture Motion Agreed to (55-45) on April 6, 2017 Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—second vote to end debate and move to a vote on Gorsuch's nomination under the new precedent requiring only a simple majority to pass. Voted Nay on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55(2))  Decision of Chair Not Sustained (48-52) on April 6, 2017 Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—a vote to keep the Senate precedent of requiring 60 votes to close debate on Supreme Court nominations. Voted Yea on: Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (PN55)  Cloture Motion Rejected (55-45, 3/5 majority required) on April 6, 2017 Neil M. Gorsuch, of Colorado, to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States—initial vote to end debate and move to a vote on Gorsuch's nomination. Votes on economic affairs and regulations (click to expand) Voted Yea on: "Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 6157)  Conference Report Agreed to (93-7) on September 18, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education. Voted Yea on: "Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 5895)  Conference Report Agreed to (92-5) on September 12, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs. Did not vote on: "Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 6157)  Bill Passed (85-7) on August 23, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education. Voted Yea on: "Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019" (HR 5895)  Bill Passed (86-5) on June 25, 2018 Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs. Voted Yea on: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1625)  Motion Agreed to (65-32) on March 23, 2018 Proposed providing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes. Voted Yea on: The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (HR 1892)  Motion Agreed to (71-28) on February 9, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through March 23, 2018 Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 695)  Cloture Motion Rejected (55-44, 3/5 majority required) on February 8, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through March 23, 2018. Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 195)  Motion Agreed to (81-18) on January 22, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 8, 2018. Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 195)  Cloture Motion Agreed to (81-18, 3/5 majority required) on January 22, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 8, 2018. Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 195)  Cloture Motion Rejected (50-49, 3/5 majority required) on January 19, 2018 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through January 19, 2018. Voted Yea on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1370)  Motion Agreed to (66-32, 3/5 majority required) on December 21, 2017 Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through January 19, 2018. Voted Yea on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)  Motion Agreed to (51-48) on December 20, 2017 Proposed providing for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018 and proposed changes to the tax code. Voted Yea on: "A joint resolution making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes." (HJ Res 123)  Joint Resolution Passed (81-14) on December 7, 2017 Proposed funding the government until December 22, 2017. Voted Yea on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)  Bill Passed (51-49) on December 2, 2017 Proposed amending the Internal Revenue Code to reduce tax rates and modify policies, credits, and deductions for individuals and businesses. Voted Yea on: A concurrent resolution establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)  Concurrent Resolution Agreed to (51-49) on October 19, 2017 Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. Voted Yea on: Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (Included amendments to suspend the debt ceiling and fund the government) (HR 601)  Motion Agreed to (80-17) on September 7, 2017 Proposed suspending the debt ceiling and funding the government until December 8, 2017, and providing funding for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma relief efforts. Voted Yea on: Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 (HR 244)  Motion Agreed to (79-18) on May 4, 2017 The $1.2 trillion budget bill proposed funding the government through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2017. Votes on foreign policy and national security issues (click to expand) Voted Nay on: "A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that have not been authorized by Congress." (SJ Res 54)  Joint Resolution Passed (56-41) on December 13, 2018 Proposed removing United States Armed Forces from hostilities in the Republic of Yemen that were not authorized by Congress. Voted Yea on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 2810)  Bill Passed (89-8) on September 18, 2017 Proposed authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, and to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes. On November 15, 2017, the Senate passed the defense policy bill by voice vote. This bill was the result of compromises made in the conference report. For more information on the compromise bill, click here. Voted Yea on: Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (HR 3364)  Bill Passed (98-2) on July 27, 2017 Proposed providing congressional review and proposed countering aggression by the governments of Iran, the Russian Federation, and North Korea, and for other purposes. Voted Yea on: Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act of 2017 (S 722)  Bill Passed (98-2) on June 15, 2017 Proposed providing congressional review and proposed countering aggression by the governments of Iran, the Russian Federation, and North Korea, and for other purposes. 114th Congress The first session of the 114th Congress enacted into law six out of the 2,616 introduced bills (0.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 1.3 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the first session. In the second session, the 114th Congress enacted 133 out of 3,159 introduced bills (4.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 7.0 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. The Senate confirmed 18,117 out of 21,815 executive nominations received (83 percent). For more information pertaining to Cornyn's voting record in the 114th Congress, please see the below sections. Economic and fiscal Trade Act of 2015 See also: The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, 2015 On May 22, 2015, the Senate passed HR 1314, which was used as a legislative vehicle for trade legislation with the titles "Trade Act of 2015" and the "Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015," by a vote of 62-37. The bill proposed giving the president trade promotion authority (TPA). TPA, also known as fast track authority, allows the president to negotiate trade deals that cannot be amended by Congress. Congress casts a simple up or down vote on a trade agreement, and the legislation only requires a simple majority for approval. The bill also included a statement of trade priorities and provisions for trade adjustment assistance. Cornyn voted with 47 other Republican senators to approve the bill. Trade promotion authority On June 24, 2015, by a vote of 60-38, the Senate approved trade promotion authority (TPA) as part of HR 2146 - Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act. Cornyn was one of 47 Republicans to vote in favor of the bill. After, Senate Republican leadership honored a pledge to support trade adjustment assistance (TAA) by passing the measure as part of HR 1295 - Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015 by voice vote. The House passed HR 1295 the following day, on June 25, 2015, and both TPA and TAA were signed into law on June 29, 2015. 2016 Budget proposal On May 5, 2015, the Senate voted to approve SConRes11, a congressional budget proposal for fiscal year 2016, by a vote of 51-48. The non-binding resolution will be used to create 12 appropriations bills to fund the government. The vote marked the first time since 2009 that Congress approved a joint budget resolution. All 44 Democrats voted against the resolution. Cornyn voted with 50 other Republican senators to approve the bill. Defense spending authorization On November 10, 2015, the Senate passed S 1356 - the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 by a vote of 91-3. The second version of the $607 billion national defense bill included "$5 billion in cuts to match what was approved in the budget" and language preventing the closure of the Guantanamo Bay military prison. Cornyn voted with 47 Republicans, 42 Democrats and one independent to approve the bill. On November 5, 2015, the House passed the bill by a vote of 370-58, and President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 25, 2015. On June 18, 2015, the Senate passed HR 1735 - National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016 by a vote of 71-25. The bill "authorizes FY2016 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It does not provide budget authority, which is provided in subsequent appropriations legislation." Cornyn voted with 48 Republicans, 21 Democrats and one Independent to approve the bill. The House passed the bill on May 15, 2015. President Barack Obama vetoed the bill on October 22, 2015. 2015 budget On October 30, 2015, the Senate passed HR 1314 - Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 by a vote of 64-35. The bill increased military and domestic spending levels and suspended the debt ceiling until March 2017. Cornyn voted with 17 Republicans, 44 Democrats and two independents in favor of the bill. It passed the House on October 28, 2015. President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 2, 2015. Foreign Affairs Iran nuclear deal See also: Iran nuclear agreement, 2015 On May 7, 2015, the Senate voted to approve HR 1191 - A bill to provide for congressional review and oversight of agreements relating to Iran's nuclear program, and for other purposes, by a vote of 98-1. The bill required President Barack Obama to submit the details of the nuclear deal with Iran for congressional review. Congress had 60 days to review the deal and vote to approve, disapprove or take no action on the deal. During the review period, sanctions on Iran could not be lifted. Cornyn voted with 52 other Republican senators to approve the bill. Senator Tom Cotton (Ark.) was the only Republican who voted against the bill. Hire More Heroes Act of 2015 On September 10, 2015, the Senate voted to filibuster the measure to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal by a vote of 58-42. Sixty votes were needed to proceed to HJ Res 61 - the Hire More Heroes Act of 2015, the legislative vehicle the Senate was expected to use to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal. Cornyn voted with 53 other Republicans and four Democrats to proceed to the measure of disapproval. Hire More Heroes Act of 2015 follow up votes On September 15, 2015, the Senate voted for a second time to filibuster the measure to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal by a vote of 56-42. Sixty votes were needed to proceed to HJ Res 61 - the Hire More Heroes Act of 2015, the legislative vehicle the Senate was expected to use to disapprove of the Iran nuclear deal. Cornyn voted with 51 Republicans and four Democrats to proceed to the measure of disapproval. The legislation was voted on for a third time on September 17, and it failed for a third time by a vote of 56-42. Hire More Heroes Act of 2015 fourth vote On September 17, 2015, the Senate voted to filibuster a vote on S.Amdt.2656 to S.Amdt.2640 by a vote of 53-45. The amendment proposed prohibiting "the President from waiving, suspending, reducing, providing relief from, or otherwise limiting the application of sanctions pursuant to an agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran." Cornyn voted with 51 Republicans and one Democrat to proceed to the amendment. Domestic USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 On June 2, 2015, the Senate passed HR 2048 - the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015 or the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 by a vote of 67-32. The legislation revised HR 3199 - the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 by terminating the bulk collection of metadata under Sec. 215 of the act, requiring increased reporting from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court and requiring the use of "a specific selection term as the basis for national security letters that request information from wire or electronic communication service providers, financial institutions, or consumer reporting agencies." Cornyn voted with 22 Republicans, 43 Democrats and one Independent to approve the legislation. It became law on June 2, 2015. Loretta Lynch AG nomination On April 23, 2015, the Senate voted to confirm Loretta Lynch as United States Attorney General by a vote of 56-43. All 44 Democratic senators voted to confirm Lynch. Cornyn voted with 42 other Republican senators against Lynch's confirmation. Cyber security On October 27, 2015, the Senate passed S 754 - the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 by a vote of 74-21. The bill proposed procedures that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. Cornyn voted with 42 Republicans, 30 Democrats and one independent in favor of the bill. Immigration On October 20, 2015, the Senate voted against proceeding to a vote on S 2146 - the Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act by a vote of 54-45. The bill proposed withholding federal funding from "sanctuary jurisdictions" that violate the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 and other federal immigration laws. In addition, the bill proposed increasing "penalties for individuals who illegally reenter the United States after being removed" and providing "liability protection for State and local law enforcement who cooperate with Federal law enforcement." Cornyn voted with 51 Republicans and two Democrats in favor of proceeding to the bill. 113th Congress The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 224 out of the 3215 introduced bills (7 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. The Senate confirmed 13,949 out of 18,323 executive nominations received (76.1 percent). For more information pertaining to Cornyn's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections. National security John Brennan CIA nomination Cornyn voted against the confirmation of John Brennan as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. The nomination was confirmed by the Senate on March 7, 2013, with a vote of 63 - 34. Most Democrats supported the nomination, while Republicans were somewhat divided with roughly one-third supporting the nomination. Drones filibuster See also: Rand Paul filibuster of John Brennan's CIA Nomination in March 2013 On March 6, 2013, Senator Rand Paul (R) led a 13-hour filibuster of President Obama's CIA Director nominee, John Brennan. Paul started the filibuster in order to highlight his concerns about the administration's drone policies. In particular, Paul said he was concerned about whether a drone could be used to kill an American citizen within the United States border without any due process involved. Paul and other civil liberties activists were critical of President Obama for not offering a clear response to the question. A total of 14 senators joined Paul in the filibuster—13 Republicans and one Democrat. Cornyn was one of the 13 Republican senators who joined Paul in his filibuster. Thirty Republican senators did not support the filibuster. The day after the filibuster, Attorney General Eric Holder sent a letter to Paul, responding to the filibuster. Holder wrote, "Does the president have the authority to use a weaponized drone to kill an American not engaged in combat on U.S. soil? The answer to that is no." Economy Farm bill On February 4, 2014, the Democratic controlled Senate approved the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, H.R. 2642, also known as the Farm Bill. It passed the Senate with a vote of 68-32. The nearly 1,000-page bill reformed and continued various programs of the Department of Agriculture through 2018. The $1 trillion bill expanded crop insurance for farmers by $7 billion over the next decade and created new subsidies for rice and peanut growers that will kick in when prices drop; however, cuts to the food stamp program cut an average of $90 per month for 1.7 million people in 15 states. Cornyn voted with 22 other Republican senators against the bill. 2014 Budget On January 16, 2014, the Democratic-controlled Senate approved H.R. 3547, a $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September 30, 2014. The Senate voted 72-26 for the 1,582 page bill, with 17 Republicans and 55 Democrats voting in favor of the bill. The omnibus package included 12 annual spending bills to fund federal operations. It increased the paychecks of federal workers and military personnel by 1 percent, increased Head Start funding for early childhood education by $1 billion, reduced funding to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency, and left the Affordable Care Act without any drastic cuts. Cornyn voted with 25 other Republican members against the bill. Government shutdown See also: United States budget debate, 2013 During the shutdown in October 2013, the Senate rejected, down party lines, every House-originated bill that stripped the budget of funding for the Affordable Care Act. A deal was reached late on October 16, 2013, just hours before the debt ceiling deadline. The bill to reopen the government, H.R. 2775, lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies. The final vote on H.R. 2775 was 81-18, with all 18 votes against the bill from Republican members. Cornyn voted with the Republican Party against the bill. A spokesperson for Cornyn said that he would "not be paid during the federal shutdown. He donates to charity and does not believe a government shutdown should necessitate charitable contributions, compassion for fellow man should." No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013 Cornyn voted against H.R.325 -- No Budget, No Pay Act of 2013. The bill passed the Senate on January 31, 2013, with a vote of 64 - 34. The purpose of the bill was to temporarily suspend the debt ceiling and withhold the pay of members of Congress until a budget could be passed. The vote largely followed party lines with Democrats overwhelmingly supporting it and many Republicans in opposition to the bill. Immigration Mexico-U.S. border Cornyn voted for Senate Amendment 1197 -- Requires the Completion of the Fence Along the United States-Mexico Border. The amendment was rejected by the Senate on June 18, 2013, with a vote of 39 - 54. The purpose of the amendment was to require the completion of 350 miles of fence described in the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 before registered provisional immigrant status may be granted. It would also require 700 miles of fence be completed before the status of registered provisional immigrants may be changed to permanent resident status. The vote followed party lines. Social issues Violence Against Women (2013) Cornyn voted against S.47 -- Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013. The bill was passed by the Senate on February 12, 2013, with a vote of 78 - 22. The purpose of the bill was to combat violence against women, from domestic violence to international trafficking in persons. All 22 dissenting votes were cast by Republicans. Previous congressional sessions Fiscal Cliff Cornyn voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. The bill was passed in the Senate by an 89 - 8 vote on January 1, 2013.

Issues

Immigration crisis

On June 30, 2014, President Barack Obama announced plans to take executive action on immigration reform. Obama blamed House Republicans for failing to act on this issue and said that he would do it on his own without Congress. This came after thousands of unaccompanied children showed up at the U.S. border.

Cornyn was one of many GOP leaders in Texas who responded negatively to Obama's decision. He issued the following statement, "It’s painfully clear that the President’s previous ‘administrative’ or executive actions on immigration resulted in the current humanitarian crisis in Texas. Given the current crisis on the Southern Border, how can the President consider more pen and phone policy changes that will lead to another surge of illegal immigration and put more lives in danger?"

Cornyn and Rep. Henry Cuellar (D) discussed sponsoring bi-partisan legislation to amend a 2008 law which requires the federal government to provide greater legal protection to minors who attempt to enter the United States from countries other than Canada or Mexico. The amendment would have allowed Central American minors to be treated as those from Mexico and Canada, meaning they could be deported more quickly. Some immigrant rights' advocates opposed the changes, saying that they would have resulted in sending children back to dangerous situations in Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.

National security

Letter to Iran

On March 9, 2015, Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) wrote a letter to Iran's leadership, warning them that signing a nuclear deal with the Obama administration without congressional approval was merely an "executive agreement." The letter also stated that "The next president could revoke such an executive agreement with the stroke of a pen and future Congresses could modify the terms of the agreement at any time." The letter was signed by 47 Republican members of the Senate. Cornyn was one of the 47 who signed the letter. No Democrats signed it.

The letter caused backlash from both the Obama administration and members of Congress. Vice President Joe Biden said of the letter, "In thirty-six years in the United States Senate, I cannot recall another instance in which senators wrote directly to advise another country — much less a longtime foreign adversary — that the president does not have the constitutional authority to reach a meaningful understanding with them."

Benghazi attack

Cornyn said, "I think the current administration has taken lying to a new level," when asked about Benghazi. He went on, "Since the terrible tragedy that took four American lives in Benghazi, we’ve had a difficulty — to put it mildly — trying to get to the bottom of this. Now the goal is to talk to the Benghazi survivors, the people who were actually there, who can tell the truth and expose what happened and hold the people responsible accountable. This has been a cover-up from the very beginning."

Cornyn continued, "It’s harder when the administration decides to cover this up and mislead and to change the subject, which they seem very good at doing, but … I assure you we’re not going to let this one go. To me that’s the one thing that I find most aggravating about what’s happening in Washington these days and particularly about this administration, which is a lack of accountability and the willingness to mislead people or provide them just demonstrably false information and expect to be able to move on."

American response in Syria

See also: United States involvement in Syria

Cornyn expressed skepticism at the idea of intervention in Syria, but would not rule it out entirely—provided he had a chance to vote on it. He took to Twitter on August 31, 2013, to urge President Obama to bring the question of a strike on Syria to Congress before he authorizes any military action.

Cornyn sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry pushing him to be hard on biological weapons in his negotiations with Russia, not just chemical weapons. Cornyn wrote, "Any credible agreement must force the surrender of both Assad’s bioweapons and chemical weapons, and it must achieve their destruction in a way that is workable, effective, timely, and verifiable. I ask for your best efforts to ensure that these important criteria are satisfied." Cornyn was one of three senators to vote against Kerry's confirmation in January.

Economy

Opposition to Summers nomination

Cornyn declared that he did not want Lawrence Summers to become Federal Reserve chairman after Ben Bernanke. Cornyn's spokeswoman Megan Mitchell said, "If you look at Larry Summers' record, he has a history of promoting stimulus funding and higher taxes, and that's not in line with Texas values." At the time, Summers was seen as one of the top two candidates to replace Bernanke, the other being Janet Yellen.

Campaign donors

Comprehensive donor history

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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John Cornyn campaign contribution history
Year	Office	Result	Contributions
2014	U.S. Senate (Texas)	✔	$17,223,563
2008	U.S. Senate (Texas)	✔	$19,326,337
2002	U.S. Senate (Texas)	✔	$9,782,572
Grand total raised			$46,332,472
Source: Follow the Money

2014

Cornyn won re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2014. During that election cycle, Cornyn's campaign committee raised a total of $17,223,563 and spent $14,672,004. This is more than the average $10.6 million spent by Senate winners in 2014.

Cost per vote

Cornyn spent $5.13 per general election vote received in 2014.

U.S. Senate, Texas, 2014 - John Cornyn Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$17,223,563
Total Spent	$14,672,004
Total Raised by Election Runner-up	$5,724,862
Total Spent by Election Runner-up	$5,715,984
Top contributors to John Cornyn's campaign committee
Votesane PAC	$63,250
Exxon Mobil	$56,900
AT&T Inc	$56,800
Valero Energy	$52,150
Blackstone Group	$49,500
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Oil & Gas	$1,187,081
Securities & Investment	$1,136,113
Health Professionals	$844,296
Retired	$722,117
Lawyers/Law Firms	$713,177

To view the breakdown of campaign funding by type click [show] to expand the section.
Breakdown of the source of Cornyn's campaign funds before the 2014 election.

Candidates for Congress were required to file reports with the Federal Election Commission during the 2014 elections season. Below are Cornyn's reports.

John Cornyn (2014) Campaign Finance Reports
Report	Date Filed	Beginning Balance	Total Contributions for Reporting Period	Expenditures	Cash on Hand
April Quarterly	April 15, 2013	$2,671,655.28	$1,854,913.27	$(347,519.79)	$4,179,048.76
July Quarterly	July 15, 2013	$4,179,048.76	$2,329,648.14	$(521,702.95)	$5,986,993.95
October Quarterly	October 15, 2013	$5,986,993.95	$1,796,856.20	$(870,075.51)	$6,913,774.64
Year-End	January 31, 2014	$6,913,774	$1,477,419	$(1,891,045)	$6,500,149
Pre-Primary	February 20, 2014	$6,500,149	$927,645	$(2,628,556)	$4,799,238
April Quarterly	April 15, 2014	$4,799,238	$1,393,992	$(2,845,848)	$3,347,382
July Quarterly	July 15, 2014	$3,347,382	$1,294,883	$(843,805)	$3,798,460
October Quarterly	October 15, 2014	$3,798,460	$1,249,052	$(1,149,610)	$3,897,903
			Running totals
			$12,324,408.61	$(11,098,162.25)

2013

Top recipients of lobbyist contributions

On a list of Top 10 Recipients of Contributions from Lobbyists in 2013 from Open Secrets, Cornyn ranked 10th on the list with $51,700 in lobbyist contributions.

2008

Cornyn won re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2008. During that re-election cycle, Cornyn's campaign committee raised a total of $19,326,337 and spent $18,994,698.

U.S. Senate, Texas, 2008 - John Cornyn Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$19,326,337
Total Spent	$18,994,698
Total Raised by General Election Opponent	$4,116,286
Total Spent by General Election Opponent	$4,106,420
Top contributors to John Cornyn's campaign committee
Exxon Mobil	$64,300
JPMorgan Chase & Co	$62,847
Bass Brothers Enterprises	$47,200
Contran Corp	$42,500
Haynes & Boone	$40,915
Top 5 industries that contributed to campaign committee
Lawyers/Law Firms	$1,339,608
Retired	$1,075,958
Oil & Gas	$980,200
Health Professionals	$848,068
Real Estate	$702,140

To view the breakdown of campaign funding by type click [show] to expand the section.
Breakdown of the source of Cornyn's campaign funds before the 2008 election.

Personal Gain Index

See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)

The Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress) is a two-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the U.S. Congress have prospered during their tenure as public servants.
It consists of two different metrics:

• Changes in Net Worth
• The Donation Concentration Metric

PGI: Change in net worth

See also: Changes in Net Worth of U.S. Senators and Representatives (Personal Gain Index) and Net worth of United States Senators and Representatives

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Cornyn's net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $310,023 and $1,086,999. That averages to $698,511, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican senators in 2012 of $6,956,438.47. Cornyn ranked as the 74th most wealthy senator in 2012. Between 2004 and 2012, Cornyn's calculated net worth increased by an average of 34 percent per year. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.

John Cornyn Yearly Net Worth
Year	Average Net Worth
2004	$186,574
2012	$698,511
Growth from 2004 to 2012:	274%
Average annual growth:	34%
Comparatively, the American citizen experienced a median yearly decline in net worth of -0.94%.

The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership, and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.

PGI: Donation Concentration Metric

See also: The Donation Concentration Metric (U.S. Congress Personal Gain Index)

Filings required by the Federal Election Commission report on the industries that give to each candidate. Using campaign filings and information calculated by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia calculated the percentage of donations by industry received by each incumbent over the course of his or her career (or 1989 and later, if elected prior to 1988). Cornyn received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the Oil & Gas industry.

From 2001-2014, 27.56 percent of Cornyn's career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.

John Cornyn Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$44,516,284
Total Spent	$40,717,822
Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee
Oil & Gas	$2,852,931
Lawyers/Law Firms	$2,764,024
Retired	$2,344,991
Health Professionals	$2,166,522
Securities & Investment	$2,141,823
% total in top industry	6.41%
% total in top two industries	12.62%
% total in top five industries	27.56%

Analysis

Ideology and leadership

See also: GovTrack's Political Spectrum & Legislative Leadership ranking

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Cornyn was a rank-and-file Republican as of July 2014. This was the same rating Cornyn received in June 2013.

Like-minded colleagues

The website OpenCongress tracks the voting records of each member to determine with whom he or she votes most and least often. The results include a member from each party.

Cornyn most often votes with:

• Mitch McConnell
• Joe Manchin

Cornyn least often votes with:

• Susan Collins
• Charles Schumer

Lifetime voting record

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Cornyn missed 84 of 4,086 roll call votes from January 2003 to September 2015. This amounts to 2.1 percent, which is worse than the median of 1.6 percent among current senators as of September 2015.

Congressional staff salaries

See also: Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Cornyn paid his congressional staff a total of $3,342,783 in 2011. He ranked 2nd on the list of the highest paid Republican senatorial staff salaries and ranked 6th overall of the highest paid senatorial staff salaries in 2011. Overall, Texas ranked 3rd in average salary for senatorial staff. The average U.S. Senate congressional staff was paid $2,529,141.70 in fiscal year 2011.

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year. Click the link above for the full ratings of all members of Congress.

2013

Cornyn ranked 14th in the conservative rankings among U.S. senators in 2013.

2012

Cornyn ranked 2nd in the conservative rankings among members of the U.S. Senate in 2012.

2011

Cornyn ranked 14th in the conservative rankings among U.S. senators in 2011.

Voting with party

The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus.

2014

Cornyn voted with the Republican Party 88 percent of the time, which ranked 22nd among the 45 Senate Republican members as of July 2014.

2013

Cornyn voted with the Republican Party 87.8 percent of the time, which ranked 27th among the 45 Senate Republican members as of June 2013.

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