Senator John Cornyn

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Early Life

John Cornyn was born in Houston on February 2, 1952, the second of three children to Gale Danley and John Cornyn II. Both of his parents were native Texans.

His father was a B-17 pilot in World War II, who was shot down on his thirteenth mission over Germany toward the end of the war. He spent four months in a German prisoner of war camp. Once released, he returned to the United States, went to college on the G.I. Bill, and taught at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.

His mother, Gale, was born and raised in Robstown, Texas. She obtained her Real Estate license and sold homes in San Antonio.

Because his father was in the Air Force, John’s family traveled a great deal as he was growing up. At various points, they lived in El Paso; Biloxi, Mississippi; Washington, DC; San Antonio; and Tachikawa, Japan.

John lived in Japan during his high school years. While in high school, he was on the wrestling team, and threw the discus and shot put on the track and field team. He played the trombone, and had the opportunity to climb Mount Fuji. He graduated from high school in 1969.

College Years

After high school in Japan, John enrolled in Trinity University in San Antonio, where he majored in biology and planned to become a physician. He began taking (and passing) the required coursework in physics and organic chemistry, but realized that he did not have a real passion for medicine. He changed his major to journalism and began working for the school newspaper, The Trinitonian.

During college, John was a member of the Chi Delta Tau fraternity. He was a member of the wrestling team and played intramural football, basketball and racquetball. As a senior, he was chosen “outstanding intramural athlete.”

He graduated from Trinity University in 1973 with a Bachelors Degree in Journalism.

John entered St. Mary’s Law School in San Antonio the following year. He received his J.D. from St. Mary’s in 1977.

Early Career & Family Life

Later in 1977, John joined the San Antonio law firm of Groce, Locke, & Hebdon, beginning a career in civil litigation. There, he specialized in defending doctors and lawyers in malpractice suits—a position that combined his interests in both medicine and law. He began at the firm as an Associate, and was later promoted to Partner.

At the age of 25, John met his future wife, Sandy Hansen, on a blind date. They were married two years later, in 1979. They have now been married 29 years.

Sandy was born in Wisconsin, raised in San Antonio, and holds two undergraduate degrees: the first, a double major in English and History from the University of Texas at Austin, and the second, in Business Administration from Incarnate Word College in San Antonio. She has worked as a teacher, accountant, executive assistant, job trainer, and advocate for senior health care issues, and has been an active partner and advisor to her husband throughout his political and professional life.

John and Sandy welcomed the birth of their first daughter, Danley (given her paternal grandmother’s maiden name) in 1981. She was followed a year later by a second daughter, Haley, in 1982.

Texas District Judge (1985–1991)

After a Democratic member of the Texas Legislature exposed problems of corruption in South Texas courts, John courageously answered the bipartisan call for judicial reform. At the urging of local Republicans, he ran for an open district judge seat in Bexar County at the age of 32.

Democrats had a long-standing hold on most Texas judicial offices, but though he was young, John won the election. He served as Judge of Texas’ 37th District Court from 1985 until Governor Clements appointed him Presiding Judge for the Fourth Administrative Judicial Region in 1989.

John entered into public life to restore the tarnished reputation of an institution plagued by scandal. It marked the first time he stepped forward as a successful reformer—and it would not be the last.

Texas Supreme Court (1991–1997)

In 1990, John again boldly confronted ethical problems in the Texas judicial system and was elected to the Texas Supreme Court.

John’s bid came on the heels of a CBS News 60 Minutes report that uncovered corruption on the state’s High Court. The report revealed that some justices accepted campaign contributions from parties in their courtroom, and took part in illegal private meetings on cases before them. 60 Minutes and the international headlines that followed concluded that, “Justice is for sale in Texas.”

John Cornyn knew that Texans deserved better, and brought his successful record of reform from San Antonio to Austin.

Just two years earlier, Governor Clements appointed the first-ever Republican Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court. Together, they helped begin a wave of conservative reform. Today, all nine members of the Court are Republicans.

Following his first term on the Texas Supreme Court, John was re-elected in 1996. While on the Court, he simultaneously pursued a Masters of Law from the University of Virginia. He earned his LL.M. in 1995.

In 1994, he was named the St. Mary’s Distinguished Law School Graduate.

Texas Attorney General (1999–2002)

In 1998, John was elected the first Republican Attorney General in Texas since Reconstruction.

The year before, he again sought to reform the justice system and change Texas by running for an office that was under fire for its ties to the Tobacco Five. Shortly after John announced his candidacy, the embattled incumbent Attorney General resigned to focus on his own legal defense, which ultimately led to a federal prison sentence.

At the same time, John stepped down from the Texas Supreme Court to devote his full attention to running for Attorney General. He ran a strong campaign against former Attorney General Jim Mattox, who had previously held the position for eight years (ending in 1991) and had served six years in the U.S. House of Representatives.

John went on to win the historic election. In 1999, he was sworn-in as Texas Attorney General by then-Governor George W. Bush.

The Texas Attorney General serves as the state’s chief law enforcement officer, and is responsible for directing programs such as child support, consumer protection, crime victim services, and cyber crimes. The Attorney General also provides legal representation to more than 300 state agencies.

While Attorney General, John had the opportunity to argue two cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. His appearances marked the first time in 20 years that a Texas Attorney General had personally gone before the Court, including arguing for the right of Texas school children to conduct voluntary prayers before high school football games.

During his tenure in the Attorney General’s office, John directed many initiatives vital to the interests of Texas families. He dramatically improved child support collection, and in 2002 Texas collected 86% more than it had four years before. His office also obtained more than $4 million in civil penalties from unscrupulous nursing home operators, and levied penalties against sweepstakes promoters who defrauded consumers.

In 2001, the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas presented John with the James Madison Award for efforts to promote open government. Also in 2001, he was named a Trinity University Distinguished Alumnus.

U.S. Senate (2002–)

Following the retirement of Texas’ much-beloved Senator, Phil Gramm, John was elected to the United States Senate in 2002. He defeated former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk by winning over 55% of all votes cast.

Senator Gramm resigned a month early to allow John extra time to establish his home, office, and relationships in Washington, DC.

During his first term in the Senate, John has earned a national reputation as a forceful and articulate voice for Texas values.

John was asked to take powerful committee assignments and to do heavy lifting, a rarity for a freshman. He serves on the Armed Services, Judiciary and Budget committees. In addition, he is the Vice Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics. He serves as the top Republican on both the Judiciary Committee’s Immigration, Refugees and Border Security subcommittee and the Armed Service Committee’s Airland Subcommittee.

He was selected by his colleagues in December 2006 to be a member of the five-person Republican Senate Leadership team (Vice Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference), the only first-term Senator in recent memory to be so honored.

John is guided by strong personal beliefs that rest on the wisdom of our Founding Fathers. He believes in low taxes and limited government—the government that governs least, governs best. He believes in the power of individuals, and does not treat people as members of groups.

Throughout his many positions in public service, John has remained committed to openness and transparency in government, so the consent of the governed can be an informed consent.

He believes government should guarantee opportunity for everyone to be successful, through their own ability and hard work—it should not guarantee results.

And he believes that providing a strong national defense is the first duty of the federal government.

John has distinguished himself as a prominent supporter of President Bush’s judicial nominees—including the successful appointments of Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justice Samuel Alito to the U.S. Supreme Court; he continues to work tirelessly on behalf of Texas military personnel, veterans and their families; he has played a leading role in securing our nation’s borders, while working to bring about broader reforms of our broken immigration system; and he stands as a dedicated defender of free markets, traditional values and individual liberty.

In addition to his legislative committees, John is the chairman of the Senate India Caucus, chairman of the Senate RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) Caucus, Vice Chairman of the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, and Vice Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference Task Force on Hispanic Affairs. He is also a member of the Senate Republican High Tech Task Force, the Congressional Oversight Group on Trade and the President’s Export Council.

While in the Senate, John has received various awards and recognitions, including the 2005 Border Texan of the Year Award; the National Child Support Enforcement Association’s Children’s Champion Award; the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Friend of Farm Bureau Award; the Texas Association of Business’s (TAB) Fighter for Free Enterprise Award; the National Federation of Independent Business’s (NFIB) Guardian of Small Business Award; the National Coalition of Latino Clergy and Christian Leader’s (CONLAMIC) Latino Leadership Award; and the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce’s (TAMACC) International Leadership Legislative Award; among others.

In Washington, Sandy Cornyn is an active member of the Spouses of the Senate, a group that meets weekly while the Senate is in session. She is also active in International Club I, which promotes goodwill and understanding about the history, customs, and cultures of its member’s countries, and consists of spouses of members of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the United States Government, plus their counterparts in the Washington Press and Diplomatic Corps.

Sandy is also a member of the Texas Federation of Republican Women and the Austin Republican Women’s Club. She is also a member of Congressional Families Action for Cancer Awareness.

John and Sandy attend University Avenue Church of Christ in Austin.