Southwest
Texas AG Paxton teases primary challenge to Cornyn as senator announces leadership bid
Embattled Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, teased a potential 2026 primary challenge to Texas Sen. John Cornyn after the lawmaker announced his bid to succeed Minority Leader Mitch McConnell come November.
Paxton took to X, formerly Twitter, Wednesday night — prior to Cornyn revealing his intention to run for leader — addressing speculation about it. Paxton said the senator would have difficulty remaining in his role “since he is anti-Trump, anti-gun, and will be focused on his highly competitive primary campaign in 2026.”
Despite Paxton’s claim, Cornyn endorsed former President Trump for president last month, calling on Republicans to rally around him.
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, left, teased a potential 2026 primary challenge to Texas Sen. John Cornyn. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images | Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
The attorney general’s accusation of Cornyn being “anti-gun” is likely a reference to his involvement in crafting and bolstering the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, a gun reform bill taken up following the Uvalde elementary school shooting in the Lone Star state. Cornyn pioneered the bill alongside senators Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C.
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Paxton didn’t note in his post who would be competing against Cornyn in a primary, but he also hasn’t dismissed speculation he would challenge Cornyn. Representatives for Paxton did not respond to Fox News’ inquiries about a potential Senate run.
“Republicans deserve better in their next leader and Texans deserve another conservative Senator,” Paxton wrote on X.
“Hard to run from prison, Ken,” Cornyn posted to X shortly afterward, referencing Paxton’s legal trouble. In April, the attorney general heads to trial on charges related to securities fraud in a case that has been delayed since an initial indictment more than eight years ago. Paxton was acquitted late last year of 16 articles of impeachment that alleged various acts of bribery and corruption following a highly publicized Texas Senate trial.
After McConnell’s surprise announcement Wednesday that he would step down as Republican Senate leader, Cornyn told reporters, “Not today,” noting the day “is about Mitch McConnell.” But, he added, “I’ve made no secret about my intentions.”
On Thursday morning, the Texas Republican announced his bid for leader of the Republican conference.
“I am asking my Republican colleagues to give me the opportunity to succeed Leader McConnell,” Cornyn said in a statement.
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“I believe the Senate is broken — that is not news to anyone,” he said. “The good news is that it can be fixed, and I intend to play a major role in fixing it.”
Cornyn was the first to announce his campaign for the role, though several others are expected to join the race.
Paxton responded to the news on X, posing a poll to his followers.
“John Cornyn has waved the white flag on election integrity, border security, protecting the 2nd amendment, and everything else constitutional conservatives care about. Do you think he’s conservative enough to lead Republicans in the Senate?” Paxton asked.
The poll had received more than 13,000 votes by the afternoon, with the overwhelming majority saying “No.”
A Paxton campaign spokesman told Fox News Digital Thursday that “Texas deserves another conservative senator. All options are on the table.”
Cornyn’s office declined to comment when reached by Fox News Digital.
Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.
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Southwest
Body found during search for missing Texas teen Camila Mendoza Olmos as another teen girl disappears
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A body was found Tuesday evening as authorities in Bexar County, Texas, grapple with a series of disappearances involving teen girls who all went missing within a week.
The body was found during the search for 19-year-old Camila Olmos, though police said it is too early to determine whether the remains belong to her.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said during a news conference that investigators had “just recently found a body in a field” around 4:40 to 4:45 p.m., adding that the medical examiner will determine both the identity of the body and the cause and manner of death.
The body was found by a joint team of sheriff’s deputies and FBI agents in an area of tall grass near a landscaping business, a few hundred yards from Olmos’ home, according to Salazar.
MISSING CAMILA MENDOZ OLMOS: DASHCAM CAPTURES LAST SIGHTING OF TEXAS TEEN WHO VANISHED CHRISTMAS EVE
Camila Olmos was reported missing on Christmas Eve. (Bexar County Sheriff)
A firearm was recovered near the body, which authorities said had been an item of interest during the search.
Salazar said investigators do not currently suspect murder and noted there were indicators consistent with possible self-harm, though he stressed it is too early to draw conclusions while the scene is still being processed.
Olmos was last seen leaving her home in far northwest Bexar County around 7 a.m. on Dec. 24, authorities said. Her case came as two other girls were reported missing in the area. Fourteen-year-old Sofia Gabriela Peters-Cobos has since been found safe, while 17-year-old Angelique Johnson remains missing, according to police.
Law enforcement has said there is no confirmed connection between the cases.
MISSING CAMILA MENDOZ OLMOS: DASHCAM CAPTURES LAST SIGHTING OF TEXAS TEEN WHO VANISHED CHRISTMAS EVE
Angelique Johnson, from San Antonio, Texas, was reported missing. (Bexar County Sheriff’s Office)
Texas Department of Public Safety said the Clear Alert for Olmos has been discontinued, though authorities urged anyone with information related to the cases or the whereabouts of Angelique Johnson to contact the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office.
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The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office and the San Antonio Police Department did not respond immediately to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Greg Norman and Michael Ruiz contributed to this report.
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Southwest
Former GOP Sen Jon Kyl announces dementia diagnosis, steps away from public life
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Former Republican Sen. Jon Kyl announced on Tuesday he is withdrawing from public life after being diagnosed with dementia.
Kyl, 83, became one of Arizona’s most prominent Republicans during a career that spanned nearly three decades across both chambers of Congress, including a stint as Senate minority whip.
“I was blessed to represent the people of Arizona in Congress and to have numerous other opportunities to contribute to the political and civic life of our nation and state,” Kyl said in a statement. “However, the time has come for me to withdraw from public life. I have been diagnosed with a neurological disease manifesting as dementia.”
Kyl represented Arizona’s 4th Congressional District in the House from 1987 to 1995 before serving in the U.S. Senate from 1995 to 2013.
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Former Arizona Republican Senator Jon Kyl announced on Tuesday he is withdrawing from public life after being diagnosed with dementia. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)
After leaving the Senate, Kyl joined the lobbying firm Covington and Burling, before being appointed in 2018 by then-Gov. Doug Ducey to fill the vacancy caused by the death of former Sen. John McCain.
Kyl held the seat for several months in the Senate before rejoining the firm in 2019, where he helped guide the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
The longtime Arizona lawmaker described himself as “a very fortunate man” despite the diagnosis.
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Former Arizona Republican Sen. Jon Kyl, left, and Bruce Babbitt, right, former Arizona Republican governor and secretary of the Interior, wave to the crowd as they are recognized during Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey’s state of the state address Monday, Jan. 14, 2019, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
“My family and I now head down a path filled with moments of joy and increasing difficulties,” he stated. “I am grateful beyond expression for their love and support, in these coming days as in all the days of my life.”
Kyl moved to Arizona as an 18-year-old freshman to attend the University of Arizona, where he met his wife.
The university said Kyl devoted more than two decades to public service, leaving a lasting impact on water policy, national defense and intelligence.
“His leadership, integrity, and commitment to service reflect the highest ideals of public life,” the university said in a statement.
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Former Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., announced he is withdrawing from public life after being diagnosed with dementia. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., said Kyl gave “decades of his life” serving Arizona, adding that he’s grateful for the former GOP senator’s “commitment to our state and country.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Southwest
Girl begged for help months before alleged killing by father, girlfriend — earlier abuse case closed: report
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Newly released police records show that 10-year-old Rebekah Baptiste pleaded for help months before she was allegedly killed by her father and his girlfriend in Arizona, revealing an earlier abuse report that was closed despite documented injuries.
According to FOX 10 Phoenix, a Phoenix police report details a 911 call made from a local gas station in October 2024, roughly nine months before Rebekah was found unresponsive. The report states the child approached a gas station clerk and begged for help, prompting officers to respond.
Police wrote that Rebekah told officers her father’s girlfriend, Anicia Woods, had hit her with a brush and a belt as punishment and forced her to run laps and endure other physical discipline for “acting out,” the outlet reported. Officers documented visible injuries, and Rebekah was taken to Phoenix Children’s Hospital, where she was treated for a bloody lip and bruising on her hands and feet, according to the report.
Despite the child’s statements and her injuries, investigators closed the case after her father, Richard Baptiste, and Woods told police the injuries were self-inflicted, the outlet reported.
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A father and girlfriend face murder charges after 10-year-old Rebekah Baptiste died from extensive injuries while living off-grid in rural Arizona. (GoFundMe)
Rebekah was later found unresponsive on July 27, 2025, near a remote campsite outside Concho, Arizona, where investigators say the family had been living off-grid in a yurt without electricity or running water after relocating from Phoenix earlier that month. The family slept on thin mattresses on the floor and hauled water in plastic jugs from a convenience store roughly 15 miles away, according to investigators.
A 36-page probable-cause affidavit from the Navajo County Sheriff’s Office detailed what detectives described as escalating abuse and repeated attempts by Rebekah to flee. Records show the girl had previously jumped out of a window while living in Phoenix and made multiple escape attempts after the move to Concho, including the day she was taken to the hospital.
Despite Rebekah’s visible physical decline, including being too weak to drink from a straw, Woods, who claimed to have a background in nursing, told investigators she believed the girl “would be fine” and did not seek immediate medical care.
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An Arizona couple is facing murder charges after a young girl was found unresponsive on a highway and died days later. (Apache County Sheriff’s Office)
When first questioned, both Woods and Baptiste denied knowing what caused Rebekah’s condition, suggesting she may have fallen. Medical professionals later found extensive signs of abuse, including a brain hemorrhage, burn marks, missing toenails and hair, and numerous cuts and bruises, according to investigators.
Previously reviewed 911 calls from July 27 show Woods referring to Rebekah as her daughter and claiming she was providing rescue breaths, though dispatchers noted she had not begun chest compressions and hesitated to place the child on firm ground, citing nearby rocks. Emergency crews later arrived, but Rebekah did not survive her injuries and was pronounced dead days later at Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
Investigators wrote that when Baptiste was shown what one detective described as “horrendous photos” of his daughter’s injuries, he “lacked in expressing any emotion.” The detective added it would have been impossible for a parent not to notice the extent of the child’s injuries.
CHARGE AGAINST MELODEE BUZZARD’S MOM DISMISSED, ANKLE MONITOR REMOVED AS FBI HUNTS FOR MISSING 9-YEAR-OLD
Authorities say Baptiste later admitted to striking Rebekah with a belt as punishment for running away, though he denied causing her head injuries. Detectives also reported finding bloody clothing inside the family’s tent that had been changed before emergency services were contacted.
Both Baptiste and Woods are now facing first-degree murder and multiple child abuse charges, including allegations involving Rebekah’s two younger siblings. Prosecutors have also alleged Rebekah suffered ongoing physical and sexual abuse.
Concerns about the children’s safety had been raised repeatedly before Rebekah’s death. School officials at Empower College Prep reportedly contacted Arizona’s Department of Child Safety (DCS) at least 12 times over two years, including after Rebekah’s unexplained absence from school, according to prior reporting.
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A memorial plaque for Rebekah Baptiste marks a planted tree in her memory at an outdoor garden, dated Dec. 20, 2014, to July 30, 2025. (Empower College Prep Elementary)
Rebekah was remembered by the school, where she attended for two years, in a tribute posted on its Facebook page the day after Christmas. School officials described her as intelligent, compassionate and a natural leader, noting she earned the Star Wolfpack award for exemplifying the school’s core values.
In her honor, the school planted a tree with pink flowers, surrounded by a rock garden made from stones created by staff and students, and displayed a decorative crane donated by a staff member. The school said the tributes allow students and staff to remember her life each day.
DCS has since launched a review into whether the agency failed to adequately protect the child. Gov. Katie Hobbs has also pledged to fully investigate the case amid growing public scrutiny.
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State Sen. Carine Werner has cited Rebekah’s case as part of a broader failure within Arizona’s child protection system, calling the deaths of three children with prior DCS contact a “wake-up call.”
Werner said a September stakeholder meeting, part of a multiphase review process, included testimony from families, tribal representatives and child welfare experts as lawmakers weigh possible reforms.
Fox News Digital reached out to DCS and Phoenix police.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
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