Ken Paxton

Warren Kenneth Paxton Jr. (born December 23, 1962) is an American politician and lawyer who has served as the attorney general of Texas since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he is the Republican nominee in the U.S. Senate election in Texas in 2026.

Born in Minot, North Dakota, Paxton was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 2003 to 2013 and was a member of the Texas Senate representing the eighth district from 2013 to 2015. In 2015, Paxton was indicted on state securities fraud charges relating to activities before taking office; he pleaded not guilty. After Paxton fulfilled a pretrial agreement for restitution to the victims, ethics training, and community service, the charges were dismissed in 2025. In May 2023, Paxton was impeached by the Texas House of Representatives by a vote of 121–23, leading to his suspension. The articles of impeachment included allegations that Paxton gave preferential treatment to a political donor who bribed him, misapplied public resources and made false statements against whistleblowers, obstructed justice in the securities fraud trial against him, and made false statements regarding his financial interests. In September 2023, the Texas Senate voted 16–14 to acquit Paxton of all articles of impeachment, ending his suspension from office.

Paxton has been described by media as a staunch ally of President Donald Trump, and as an ultraconservative or far-right politician. After Joe Biden won the 2020 U.S. presidential election and Trump refused to concede while making unfounded claims of election fraud, Paxton aided Trump in his efforts to overturn the result. He filed the unsuccessful Texas v. Pennsylvania case in the U.S. Supreme Court and spoke at the rally Trump held on January 6, 2021 that preceded the attack on the U.S. Capitol. Throughout the course of Biden's presidency, Paxton pursued legal action against the administration 106 times.