John Cornyn
RepublicanU.S. Senator, TX| Age | 74 (b. 1952-02-02) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2002-11-30 (~23 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | White |
| Religion | Protestant (Church of Christ; classified by Pew as nondenominational Protestant) |
| Education | B.A. in journalism, Trinity University (1973); J.D., St. Mary's University School of Law (1977); LL.M., University of Virginia School of Law (1995) |
| Prior occupation | Attorney; trial judge and state appellate jurist (Bexar County district judge 1985-1990; Texas Supreme Court justice 1991-1997; Texas Attorney General 1999-2002) |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | Houston, Texas |
| Marital status | Married — Sandy Hansen Cornyn |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Austin, Texas |
Pending research: languages · notable relatives · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2002 |
| Previous offices | Judge, Texas 37th District Court (Bexar County), 1985-1990 · Justice, Supreme Court of Texas, 1991-1997 · Attorney General of Texas, 1999-2002 |
| Committees | Senate Committee on the Judiciary · Senate Committee on Finance · Senate Select Committee on Intelligence |
| Caucuses | Senate India Caucus (co-founder) · Senate Taiwan Caucus · Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control (Chair, 2025) |
| Leadership | Senate Majority Whip (2015-2019) · Senate Minority Whip (2013-2015) · Chair, National Republican Senatorial Committee (2009-2013) · Chair, Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control (2025-present) |
| Ideology | Establishment/traditional Republican. Club for Growth 2024 score 62% (lifetime 76%); CPAC lifetime rating 85%. In 2013 National Journal ranked him 14th-most conservative senator; in 2023 the Lugar Center ranked him 5th among senators for bipartisanship. |
| Signature legislation | Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (2022) - lead GOP negotiator · Justice for All Act (2004) and reauthorizations - crime victims' rights, DNA testing, forensic labs · Fix NICS Act (2018) - background check system improvements |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $22,873–$1,734,996 (2023) · estimate
| American Funds Growth Fund of America (AGTHX) | fund · $100,001–$250,000 · 2023 |
| Fundamental Investors Class A (ANCFX) | fund · $100,001–$250,000 · 2023 |
| American Funds Investment Co. of America A (AIVSX) | fund · $100,001–$250,000 · 2023 |
| Capital Income Builder Class A | fund · $50,001–$100,000 · 2023 |
| Judicial Retirement System of Texas | other · $50,001–$100,000 · 2023 |
Top industries: Lawyers/Law Firms · Securities & Investment · Oil & Gas · Real Estate · Leadership PACs
Scandals & crimes ledger
No recorded incidents. Under the adjudicated-only methodology, an entry appears only when a court or official body has formally acted and the record is cited.