In 2002, the residents of Texas elected a member of the Republican Party, John Cornyn, to the Senate. Thus, his long and effective political career started. He previously served as a judge, a member of the Texas Supreme Court and a state attorney general. Cornyn is known as one of the most famous Texas politicians of the 21st century, although not all of his political views were supported by the public. Read more about the life and professional path of the influential Houstonian on houston-yes.com.
Education
John was born on February 2, 1952 in Houston. He is the son of a US Air Force officer. In 1968, he moved to Tokyo with his family. In Japan, the boy studied at an American School. Later, he returned to his native Texas to study journalism at Trinity University. He graduated from the university in 1973.
Cornyn worked as a real estate agent and, in 1977, he received a doctorate in law from the St. Mary’s University School of Law. After that, he started a private practice in San Antonio (Texas), specializing in medical and legal negligence. Thus, John combined his passion for medicine and law. In 1995, he also earned a master’s degree in law from the University of Virginia School of Law.
A district judge and attorney general
In 1984, at the age of 32, Cornyn was elected a Bexar County judge. He held that position until 1990 when he won a seat on the Texas Supreme Court. He was re-elected in 1996 but resigned the following year to run for Texas attorney general.
In the 1998 Republican primary, Railroad Commissioner Barry Williamson received 38% of the vote, while Cornyn got 32%. However, in the second round, Cornyn defeated Williamson with 58% to 42% of the vote. In the general election, John won 54% of the vote, defeating former Texas attorney general Jim Mattox.
In 1999, the Houstonian got the position of attorney general. He became the first Republican to hold this office since the Reconstruction Era (the period in US history after the end of the Civil War). John managed to appeal cases to the US Supreme Court twice. In 2002, he ceased law practice to engage in politics.
Senator
In 2002, John ran for the US Senate. His candidacy was supported by approximately 55% of voters and Cornyn received the post in December. He became a member of the minority representative team of the Republican Party the following year. In 2012, he became a representative. Three years later, he already represented the majority.
As a senator, Cornyn took care of defense, veterans and immigration issues. He was an ardent supporter of the Open Government Data Act (2007) and a program that revised the Freedom of Information Act. Thus, John wanted government institutions to respond more promptly to citizens’ requests. He also introduced a bill that would prohibit Congress from signing any bills that do not guarantee tax transparency.
Throughout his career, John has earned a national reputation as an effective voice of Texas values in Washington. He has authored more than 80 bills, advocated for policies to strengthen the Texas economy, create safer communities and strengthen national security. That is why the Houstonian has earned the reputation of one of the most effective legislators in the Senate.
Recognition
Over the years, John has received many notable awards, such as the Hero of the Taxpayer Award and the Taxpayers’ Friend Award for reducing the tax burden on hard-working Texas families. He also received the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN) Crime Fighter Award for his contributions to legislation that improved protections for victims of rape and child exploitation.
For his dedication to serving Texans, Cornyn received the Democracy Award for Constituent Services. The politician helped not only by voting in the Senate but also by providing assistance in solving federal issues. In 2015, John was named Mr. South Texas for his dedication to the growth and development of the southern part of the state.
In 2020, the American Farm Bureau awarded him a Friend of the Farm Bureau Award for protecting the interests of the state’s agricultural industry. The US Chamber of Commerce presented John with the Spirit of Enterprise Award for creating workplaces.
In 2022, the politician was awarded the Mission Inspire Award by the National Medal of Honor Museum on behalf of America’s brave veterans.
An ardent conservative
Despite the huge recognition and respect of voters, Cornyn has repeatedly become the object of criticism due to his radical conservative views. In 2013, the consulting company National Journal named him one of the most conservative senators. Thus, John actively opposed abortion. In 2007, he voted against expanding federal funding for research on human embryonic stem cells obtained from abortions. Instead, he called for the use of adult stem cells and umbilical cord blood stem cells.
In addition, he was against same-sex marriage. Cornyn voted for an amendment to the Constitution that defined marriage only as a union between a man and a woman. Cornyn argued that the recognition of same-sex marriages does not work in favor of heterosexual couples. In his opinion, children of same-sex families are at greater risk of crime, drug abuse and dropping out of school. The politician also opposed the adoption of children by homosexuals.
When Barack Obama expressed his support for the LGBTQ+ community in 2012, Cornyn criticized the president, accusing him of dividing the country. John made the same accusation against Joe Biden when he overturned Trump’s ban on transgender military service in 2021.
A climate skeptic
Cornyn believed that humans are not involved in climate change. He was one of 22 senators who signed a letter to Trump calling for the US to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. The latter regulates measures to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. In addition, in May 2019, Cornyn condemned the Green New Deal, an economic stimulus package that was a response to climate change and economic inequality. In April 2020, the Houstonian stated that climatological models of the effects of climate change use unscientific methods.
He voted against including oil and gas smokestacks in mercury regulations, opposed the consideration of global warming during the planning of various projects and fought for the abolition of oil and gas exploration subsidies…
Trump’s immutable ally
John was called Trump’s immutable ally. He praised Donald throughout most of his presidency. The politician has repeatedly defended Trump’s idea to take maximum resources from the Pentagon to build a wall on the border with Mexico. In 2019, he spoke out against attempts by Congress to block Donald’s actions. However, in late October 2020, John tried to distance himself from Trump and stated that he never supported the president’s ideas and was his opponent.
On February 24, 2019, the politician ridiculed dictatorship, centralized power and democratic socialism on his Twitter.