Sen. John Cornyn of Texas will not attend this week's Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in North Texas, where Attorney General Ken Paxton is expected to be the featured speaker. This move comes amid a contentious Republican Senate runoff, which is seen as a proxy war between factions vying for control of the party. President Donald Trump has previously spoken at CPAC but is not expected to attend. The conference, typically held in the Washington, D.C. area, functions as a celebration of conservatism and an avenue for right-leaning thinkers to discuss their respective visions for the movement. Paxton's Senate campaign has focused on criticizing Cornyn for not being supportive of President Trump and his support for conservative priorities such as securing the border and reducing illegal immigration.