Sen. John Cornyn announces leadership team, including Trump pollster, for 2026 reelection campaign

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U.S. Sen. John Cornyn has tapped former Trump campaign pollster Tony Fabrizio to helm polling operations for his 2026 reelection bid, part of a seven-person senior campaign team announced by the Texas Republican on Wednesday.

Also filling out Cornyn’s leadership crew is Andy Hemming, a former senior adviser for Gov. Greg Abbott’s 2022 campaign who will serve as Cornyn’s campaign manager. Hemming also has ties to President Donald Trump’s political network, dating back to his role as research director on Trump’s 2016 campaign and a stint as the White House’s rapid response director the following year.

Fabrizio and Hemming will be joined by Cornyn’s longtime political aide, Rob Jesmer, who will remain in his current slot as the senator’s general consultant. Jesmer has advised Cornyn since he managed the senator’s 2008 reelection, also serving as executive director of the Senate GOP campaign arm when Cornyn chaired the committee.

Cornyn’s move to stockpile his campaign team with seasoned GOP operatives signals that he is digging in for a serious fight against Attorney General Ken Paxton, who last month launched his bid to unseat Cornyn in the 2026 primary. Paxton, a conservative firebrand who has fended off several serious legal issues in recent years, is positioning himself as a disruptor against the Republican establishment he says is embodied by Cornyn.

In a statement, Cornyn said he would run “an aggressive campaign that clearly frames the choice for Texas Republican primary voters.”

“I am pleased to have a dedicated team of elite professionals running this campaign,” Cornyn said. “We will accurately convey my record in the U.S. Senate and make sure that Texans understand the character and record of my opponents. It’s going to be a long, miserable 10 months for Ken Paxton.”

Cornyn’s hiring of Fabrizio and other senior campaign aides once linked to Trump’s political world is a further sign of the incumbent senator’s efforts to demonstrate his conservative bona fides and allegiance to the president, whose potential endorsement is seen as the biggest undecided factor looming over the race. Paxton has sought to cast doubt on Cornyn’s affinity for the president, while Cornyn has emphasized his Trump-aligned voting record and his move to back all the president’s nominees.

Fabrizio’s hire was first reported Tuesday by POLITICO.

Also joining Cornyn’s campaign team is former Travis County GOP chair Matt Mackowiak, who will serve as communications director and senior adviser. Mackowiak is a longtime GOP consultant who has worked for an array of candidates in Texas. Cornyn’s press release also notes that Mackowiak bundled “$250,000+” for Trump’s 2024 campaign, referring to the practice of organizing and compiling contributions from other donors.

Rounding out the team are three other veterans of Texas and national GOP politics.

Jahan Wilcox, a former senior communications staffer for the Environmental Protection Agency under Trump, will be a senior adviser. Vincent Harris, a digital strategist who has run digital campaigns for candidates including Sen. Ted Cruz and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, will direct the campaign’s digital strategy. And Matt Wiltshire, a political operative who has worked for numerous GOP campaigns and elected officials in Texas, will be the campaign’s political director.

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