Ken Paxton is the Republican Attorney General of Texas, in office since January 2015, and the party’s 2026 nominee for the U.S. Senate after defeating four-term incumbent John Cornyn in the May primary runoff. He has spent more than a decade as the state’s top lawyer, building a national profile through lawsuits against the federal government and billion-dollar privacy settlements while surviving a securities fraud indictment, an impeachment trial, a federal corruption probe, a whistleblower judgment against his office, and a public divorce filed by his wife.1Texas Tribune. Texas John Cornyn Ken Paxton US Senate Republican Primary Runoff
The 2026 Senate Race
In the March 2026 Republican primary, Cornyn finished 1.5 percentage points ahead of Paxton, forcing a runoff. A week before the May 26 vote, President Trump endorsed Paxton, calling him “a WINNER” and saying Cornyn “was not supportive of me when times were tough.”2Houston Public Media. Ken Paxton Trump Endorsement Texas Senate Republican Primary Runoff Cornyn
Paxton won by more than 25 points, improving on his March performance in nearly every county despite being outspent by pro-Cornyn forces by roughly $80 million in what was described as the most expensive primary in American history.3New York Times. Texas Primary Runoff Elections
The general election is close. Paxton faces Democratic state Representative James Talarico, a 37-year-old training to become a minister. A late-June 2026 New York Times/Siena poll found the race tied at 47% each among likely voters. Fifty-six percent said Talarico has “good character” compared with 38% for Paxton, and 32% of likely voters said Paxton’s controversies meant they “cannot support” him.4New York Times. Texas Senate Poll Talarico Paxton A University of Texas poll from early June had Paxton at 43-42, with 84% of Republican voters behind him, a 21-point jump from April.5Texas Politics Project. June Poll Finds a Competitive U.S. Senate Race in Texas
Talarico leads among independents, women, voters under 65, and Hispanic voters; Paxton leads among men. The Cook Political Report moved the race from “likely Republican” to “lean Republican” after the primary. Texas has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1988.6Texas Tribune. Texas US Senate Poll Ken Paxton James Talarico
What Paxton Has Done as Attorney General
Lawsuits Against the Federal Government
Beginning in January 2021, Paxton filed more than two dozen lawsuits against Biden administration immigration policies, often leading coalitions of Republican-led states. The suits challenged the suspension of deportations, the halt of border wall construction, the end of the “Remain-in-Mexico” program, and humanitarian parole programs for migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela.7Texas Attorney General. Paxton Launches 9th Border Crisis Lawsuit Against Biden
Results were mixed. Paxton won early rulings from federal judges in Texas, including orders blocking Biden enforcement guidelines and a 2023 restraining order to prevent federal officials from destroying state border fencing. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 8-1 against Texas in June 2023 in a challenge to DHS enforcement priorities, finding the state lacked standing to dictate executive branch arrest policies.8Texas Standard. U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Texas Lawsuit Over Biden’s Immigration Policy A challenge to the Biden parole program was dismissed in March 2024 after a federal judge ruled Texas failed to prove injury.9Texas Tribune. Ken Paxton Immigration Lawsuit
The best-known federal case came earlier. On December 7, 2020, Paxton filed suit directly in the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to block the 2020 presidential election results in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, arguing those states had changed election procedures during the pandemic without legislative approval.10SCOTUSblog. Texas Tries Hail Mary to Block Election Outcome Four days later, the Court denied the motion for lack of standing, finding “Texas has not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another State conducts its elections.”11U.S. Supreme Court. Texas v. Pennsylvania, No. 22O155
Big Tech Settlements
Paxton’s office secured two of the largest state privacy settlements ever. In 2024, Meta agreed to pay Texas $1.4 billion over five years to resolve claims that its “Tag Suggestions” feature captured users’ facial geometry data without informed consent, violating the Texas biometric identifier statute and the Deceptive Trade Practices Act.12Texas Attorney General. Attorney General Ken Paxton Secures $1.4 Billion Settlement With Meta
In October 2025, Paxton finalized a $1.375 billion settlement with Google over allegations the company unlawfully tracked users’ geolocation, incognito browsing, voiceprints, and facial geometry. Google was not required to admit wrongdoing. Texas was represented by outside firm Norton Rose Fulbright under a contingent-fee contract that could entitle the firm to between 10% and 27% of the recovery.13Texas Attorney General. Attorney General Ken Paxton Finalizes Historic Settlement With Google14Texas Tribune. Google Texas Privacy Lawsuit Settlement Ken Paxton
Abortion Enforcement
After the Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Paxton issued a July 27 advisory declaring that pre-Roe criminal statutes were again enforceable and that Texas’s 2021 trigger law would take effect August 25, 2022. Under the trigger law, performing an abortion is a first-degree felony punishable by five years to life, with civil penalties of at least $100,000 per violation and license revocation.15Texas Tribune. Texas Abortion Ban Dobbs When providers obtained a temporary restraining order blocking enforcement, the Texas Supreme Court stayed it at Paxton’s request and allowed enforcement to proceed.16Civil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse. Whole Woman’s Health v. Paxton
Recent Consumer Cases
In February 2026, Paxton sued Snap Inc., alleging Snapchat misrepresented its safety for children, assigned misleading age ratings, and used addictive design features like “Snapstreaks.” Snap said it “strongly disagrees” with the complaint.17Texas Tribune. Texas Ken Paxton Snapchat Lawsuit In May 2026, he sued Meta and WhatsApp, alleging the company misled users about the privacy of messages by marketing end-to-end encryption while employees and contractors could review certain content.18KERA News. Texas Meta WhatsApp Lawsuit Ken Paxton In June 2026, his office secured a nearly $34 million settlement with AstraZeneca to resolve allegations of an illegal kickback scheme targeting Texas Medicaid prescribers.19Texas Attorney General. Attorney General Ken Paxton Secures Nearly $34 Million Settlement Agreement With Big Pharma Company
The Legal Troubles
Securities Fraud Indictment
In 2015, months after taking office, a Collin County grand jury indicted Paxton on three felony securities fraud counts, alleging he had solicited investors for a technology company without disclosing he was being compensated for the referrals and without being registered with the Texas State Securities Board.20Courthouse News. FBI Subpoenas Texas AG Ken Paxton After Alleged Bribery Reports
The case sat on the docket for nearly a decade. In March 2024, with trial set for April 15, Paxton reached a pretrial diversion agreement requiring 100 hours of community service, 15 hours of legal ethics courses, and roughly $300,000 in restitution. He did not admit guilt.21Politico. Texas AG Ken Paxton Security Fraud In June 2025, after he completed the program, the felony charges were dismissed.22Fox 26 Houston. Texas Ken Paxton Felony Securities Fraud Dismissed
The Nate Paul Affair and the FBI
In September 2020, seven senior staff members reported Paxton to the FBI. They alleged he had abused his office to benefit Austin real estate investor and campaign donor Nate Paul, who was under separate federal fraud investigation. Their allegations included directing staff to help Paul investigate his creditors, delaying foreclosures on Paul’s properties, obtaining confidential law enforcement records, and hiring outside attorney Brandon Cammack to issue grand jury subpoenas against Paul’s perceived enemies. A judge later quashed those subpoenas.23Texas Tribune. Ken Paxton Impeachment Allegations
Paxton had admitted an extramarital affair to senior aides in 2018. Whistleblowers and later House investigators alleged Nate Paul had employed the woman at his company and funded renovations to Paxton’s home, effectively bribing the attorney general.24Houston Public Media. Texas AG Ken Paxton’s Affair Tied to Criminal Allegations All seven whistleblowers were fired, forced out, or placed on leave.
The FBI served at least one subpoena on Paxton’s office in December 2020, and a federal grand jury in San Antonio was still hearing testimony as recently as October 2023.20Courthouse News. FBI Subpoenas Texas AG Ken Paxton After Alleged Bribery Reports25Texas Tribune. Nate Paul Indictment Ken Paxton The Justice Department ultimately declined to prosecute Paxton. According to the Associated Press, the decision was made in the final weeks of the Biden term by a senior career official who cited concerns about securing a conviction, not by politically appointed DOJ leadership. Federal investigators in Texas had reportedly believed the evidence was sufficient for an indictment, but the case had been transferred to the DOJ’s public integrity section in Washington about two years earlier.26Associated Press. Justice Department Declined to Prosecute Texas AG Paxton Nate Paul pleaded guilty in January 2025 to a federal charge of making false statements to a financial institution in connection with more than $170 million in loans.27KERA News. Nate Paul Ken Paxton Guilty False Statements
Impeachment and Acquittal
On May 27, 2023, the Texas House voted 121-23 to impeach Paxton, with more than 70% of House Republicans joining the effort. The vote followed a secret House investigation triggered when Paxton asked the Legislature to appropriate $3.3 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the fired whistleblowers.28Texas Tribune. Ken Paxton Acquitted Impeachment Texas Attorney General
Impeachment automatically suspended him from office. A two-week Senate trial in September 2023, presided over by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, ended in acquittal on all 16 articles, with four more dismissed. Conviction required 21 of 31 senators; no article drew more than 14 votes to convict, and only Republicans Bob Nichols and Kelly Hancock voted to convict on any article. Paxton was immediately reinstated. His wife, State Senator Angela Paxton, was required to attend but was barred from deliberating or voting.29Houston Public Media. Texas Senate Acquits State Attorney General Ken Paxton in Impeachment Trial The trial deepened a bitter split in the Texas Republican Party, with Paxton’s allies threatening political retribution against Republicans who had voted to impeach.30Governing. The Legacy From Texas AG Ken Paxton’s Impeachment Trial
The Whistleblower Judgment
Four fired aides — Blake Brickman, Mark Penley, David Maxwell, and Ryan Vassar — sued under the Texas Whistleblower Act. In April 2025, Travis County District Judge Catherine Mauzy ruled that the plaintiffs had proven the Office of the Attorney General violated the Act, noting that Paxton’s office had not disputed any issue of fact. Each plaintiff was awarded between $1.1 million and $2.1 million, for a total judgment of $6.6 million.31Texas Tribune. Ken Paxton Whistleblower Case Judgment
Paxton called the ruling “ridiculous” and initially vowed to appeal, but dropped the appeal in July 2025. The Texas Legislature must appropriate funds to pay the judgment, and if payment is not made by 2027, it accrues $1.2 million in interest.32KUT. Texas Will Pay $6.6 Million to Whistleblowers After Paxton Drops Appeal
The Divorce
In July 2025, State Senator Angela Paxton filed for divorce in Collin County, citing “biblical grounds” and accusing Ken Paxton of adultery. The petition said the couple stopped living together as spouses in June 2024.33KUT. State Sen. Angela Paxton Files for Divorce From Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton A judge initially sealed the case records; after a challenge by several news organizations, the couple agreed in December 2025 to unseal the file, with a hearing scheduled for late that month.34Texas Tribune. Texas Ken Paxton Angela Divorce Case
How He Got There
Paxton was first elected to the Texas House in 2002, representing House District 70. He served a decade before winning a Texas Senate seat in 2012 for District 8 in Collin and Dallas counties. He was elected the 51st Attorney General of Texas on November 4, 2014, and sworn in on January 5, 2015.35Texas Attorney General. About the Office He was reelected in 2018 and again in 2022, when he defeated George P. Bush in the Republican primary runoff 68% to 32%.36New York Times. Results Texas Attorney General