Sen. Cornyn was born in Houston, Texas, and grew up in San Antonio, the second of three children. His father was a B-17 pilot in World War II before becoming an Air Force dentist. At various points Sen. Cornyn’s family was also stationed in El Paso, Texas; Biloxi, Mississippi; Washington, D.C.; and Tachikawa, Japan.
Sen. Cornyn graduated from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas with a degree in journalism. After starting as a biology major, hoping to become a doctor, Sen. Cornyn realized science wasn’t his passion and he switched to journalism and worked for the school paper.
Fighting dangerous criminals and providing justice to victims are some of our most important commitments. I will always stand strong for our law enforcement officers, making sure they have the resources needed to keep Texas safe and secure.
Senator John Cornyn
Sen. Cornyn knows firsthand the dedication of the men and women who protect our fellow Texans. While serving as Attorney General of Texas, the state's chief law enforcement officer, Sen. Cornyn created and backed numerous initiatives to strengthen law enforcement, including the groundbreaking Texas Exile program, which increases penalties for criminal gun use by convicted felons, and the Texas Internet Bureau, which targets child predators and human traffickers.
Senator Cornyn has taken his Texas experience to the United States Senate, advocating for issues that bolster law enforcement through his work on the Judiciary Committee. He believes that local, state, and federal authorities must work together as partners to enforce the law, and that they must be given the legal tools and funding resources necessary to do their jobs well. He believes policymakers in Washington, D.C. can learn many commonsense lessons from the successes of the Texas criminal justice system.