A look at Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s tumultuous tenure
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has proven to be a formidable candidate — weathering years worth of controversies in his personal and professional life while seeing political success.
During his time in Austin, he has faced securities fraud charges dating back a decade, was impeached for purportedly misusing his office and been accused of infidelity, all while making a name as a conservative champion in the courtroom and loyal supporter of President Donald Trump.
After Tuesday, he’s one step closer to serving as a U.S. senator in Washington. As of 8:30 p.m. he’s poised to defeat longtime Republican incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in a primary runoff. Cornyn conceded the race around 8:15 p.m.
Paxton will face Democratic challenger state Rep. James Talarico in the November general election.
As Paxton looks ahead to Nov. 3, here’s a look back at the three-term attorney general’s time in office.
Ken Paxton’s time in the Texas Legislature
Paxton’s leadership ambitions include his college days, when Paxton attended Baylor University and was student body president. He attended law school at the University of Virginia and worked as an attorney, including at his own McKinney firm for 14 years.
Paxton joined the Texas House in 2003 as a McKinney Republican after winning his bid for House District 70 in North Texas.
He challenged then-House Speaker Joe Straus for speakership in 2011, but lost. The House needed a more conservative leader than Straus, Paxton said in an interview with the Texas Tribune at the time.
Paxton moved to the Texas Senate in 2013, representing Senate District 8 in Collin and Dallas counties, but his time in the state Legislature’s upper chamber was short-lived.
Paxton left the office mid-term in 2015, after winning a 2014 bid for attorney general. He replaced Greg Abbott who won his first bid for governor that year.
Securities fraud indictments
Paxton was charged with securities fraud in 2015, soon after taking office. He was accused of soliciting stock investments in a McKinney-based company, without disclosing the company was compensating him.
That case lasted years, but the charges were dismissed in 2025 after Paxton completed a pre-trial diversion program that included more than 100 hours of community service and online ethics training from the State Bar of Texas, according to WFAA.
Suing Democrats, Supporting Trump
Paxton regularly highlights his efforts to take on the administrations of former presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden while in office. On his campaign website, he touts suing the Biden administration more than 100 times “standing up against open borders policies, government overreach, attacks on the Second Amendment, and the far-left’s radical agenda.”
He’s also gained a reputation as a loyal supporter of Trump, including in the courtroom. Trump cited Paxton’s support as a reason for giving the attorney general his endorsement over Cornyn.
Paxton faced scrutiny after the 2020 general election when he sued four battleground states that helped Biden secure victory.
“This is the big one,” Trump said on social media at the time. “Our Country needs a victory!”
The U.S. Supreme Court did not accept the case due to lack of standing. The merits of the lawsuit were questioned by legal experts.
Paxton mentioned the lawsuit during a Jan. 6, 2020 rally in Washington before the U.S. Capitol was stormed.
Paxton faces whistleblower allegations and impeachment trial
In November 2020, the Associated Press reported that the FBI was investigating Paxton after top deputies accused the attorney general of abusing his office and engaging in bribery to benefit Austin real estate developer Nate Paul. Whistleblowers sued Paxton in November 2020 for wrongful termination and retaliation.
The Biden administration ultimately decided not to prosecute Paxton, the AP reported in April 2025.
The allegations, which Paxton has denied, were central to Paxton’s 2023 impeachment, where he was accused of corruption and abusing his office. He was acquitted in September 2023 after a two-week trial.
Allegations of infidelity, not disclosing property
Paxton and his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, a McKinney Republican, filed for divorce on July 10. In a post on social media, Sen. Paxton said the separation was “on biblical grounds.”
“I believe marriage is a sacred covenant and I have earnestly pursued reconciliation,” Sen. Paxton said on X. “But in light of recent discoveries, I do not believe that it honors God or is loving to myself, my children, or Ken to remain in the marriage.”
The attorney general has faced allegations of infidelity.
Paxton has also been scrutinized for reportedly not disclosing some of his properties and claiming multiple homes as his primary residence.
