Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has officially launched a campaign for the U.S. Senate, setting up a high-profile primary battle against fellow Republican Sen. John Cornyn. Paxton, a staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, made the announcement during an interview Tuesday night on Fox News. His decision opens what is expected to be one of the most closely watched and contentious GOP primaries of the 2026 election cycle. “I believe it’s time we had a strong conservative representing Texas in the Senate,” Paxton said during the appearance. “I’m running for U.S. Senate to fight for President Trump’s agenda and take a sledgehammer to the D.C. establishment,” Paxton said in a post on X. “Together, let’s send John Cornyn packing.” Paxton has long been a polarizing figure in Texas politics. In 2023, he survived an impeachment trial in the Texas Senate after the House voted to impeach him on charges including bribery and abuse of public trust. He also recently resolved a nearly decade-long legal battle involving securities fraud charges by agreeing to pay restitution. His campaign is likely to draw strong support from the party’s right flank. Over the past year, Paxton has garnered national attention by pushing aggressive…

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Thursday that he has launched an investigation into one of the state’s Medicaid insurance providers after allegations that the company illegally spied on Texans. The state is investigating Superior HealthPlan, an insurance company that provides Medicaid coverage to adults and children and coverage for the Children’s Health Insurance Program in Texas, for allegedly using private investigators to perform surveillance and gather potentially confidential information on lawmakers, journalists and other Texans. “The allegations concerning Superior’s actions, such as actions that were characterized as potentially blackmailing lawmakers to secure state contracts and surveilling private citizens to avoid paying legitimate claims, are deeply troubling,” Paxton said in a statement. Superior HealthPlan CEO Mark Sanders was questioned Wednesday by members of the Texas House Committee on the Delivery of Government Efficiency about his company’s use of private investigators. The topic surfaced as lawmakers questioned company representatives about potential fraud and waste of taxpayer funds connected to its Medicaid contracts, and Sanders told the committee members that the company used private investigators in the past, but hasn’t done so for the past few years. On Thursday, Superior fired Sanders, the Dallas Morning News reported. At Wednesday’s hearing, Sanders defended…

Measles outbreaks in West Texas and New Mexico are now up to nearly 320 cases, and two unvaccinated people have died from measles-related causes. Measles is caused by a highly contagious virus that’s airborne and spreads easily when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs. It is preventable through vaccines, and has been considered eliminated from the U.S. since 2000. As of Friday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said its count of confirmed measles cases in the U.S. surpassed 2024. Here’s what else you need to know about measles in the U.S. How many measles cases are there in Texas and New Mexico? Texas state health officials said Tuesday there were 20 new cases of measles since last week, bringing the total to 279 across 11 counties — most in West Texas. Two more people were hospitalized, for a total of 36. New Mexico health officials announced three new cases Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to 38. Most of the cases are in Lea County, where two people have been hospitalized, and the other cases are in Eddy County. Oklahoma’s state health department reported two probable cases of measles last week, saying they are “associated” with the West Texas and…

Conservative Republicans Christi Craddick and Don Huffines announced their candidacies for Texas Comptroller on Friday after the state’s current comptroller, Glenn Hegar, was named sole finalist for chancellor of the Texas A&M System. Craddick is the current chairman of the Railroad Commission of Texas and Huffines is a former state senator who ran for governor in 2022. Christi Craddick Craddick won her third six-year term on the three-member Railroad Commission of Texas last November. She was first elected to the state’s oldest regulatory agency in 2012 and won reelection in 2018 and 2024. “Serving for more than a decade as Railroad Commissioner has uniquely prepared me to help Texas build upon its momentum as the economic engine of the United States,” Craddick said. “Throughout my tenure at the Commission, we have managed our work with efficiency, transparency, and common sense, reflecting the bedrock principles the Texas economy has been built upon, and our commitment to the principles of a free market has helped our economy thrive. At the heart of all good government, good business and fiscal responsibility is one simple fact: Don’t spend money you don’t have.” Craddick of Midland said public service is in her blood and that…