(The Epoch Times)—Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, with President Donald Trump’s endorsement, won the Texas Republican primary runoff against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.
With almost 99 percent of the votes counted, Paxton took a whopping 64 percent of the vote to Cornyn’s 36 percent.
The runoff marked a dramatic turnaround for Cornyn, who, as a four-term senator, had led in the first round of the primary on March 3, winning 42 percent of the vote to Paxton’s 41 percent.
Paxton now faces Democratic challenger James Talarico in the November general election.
While Paxton, having emerged from several controversies, enjoys significant support from Republican voters, some Democrats reacted positively to Paxton’s win, viewing him as a candidate they might have more opportunities to challenge.
As the race moves forward, it is expected to be one of the most expensive ever, as Democrats anticipate a chance to win a statewide election in the midterms. Democrats haven’t won a statewide election since 1994.
Here’s what to know about Paxton.
‘MAGA Warrior’
Paxton is considered one of the most prominent U.S. legal conservatives, taking up issues such as defending the Texas border with Mexico, the Second Amendment, and the right to life.
He has also been closely aligned with Trump, becoming one of the first attorneys general to support Trump’s efforts to challenge the 2020 election. When endorsing Paxton, the president called him a “MAGA Warrior” who has always delivered for Texas, and criticized Cornyn for not being supportive enough during tough times.
Paxton filed more than 100 lawsuits against the Biden administration on immigration, border security, censorship, and to protect the state’s oil and gas industry.
One example is Paxton’s legal win that stopped the Biden administration’s attempt to redirect appropriated funds for border wall construction, thereby forcing the resumption of construction.
Securities Fraud Charges Dropped
After five months in office, Paxton was indicted in 2015 on first-degree felony securities fraud charges. He was accused of defrauding investors in the Dallas-area tech company Servergy by failing to disclose that he was paid by the company to recruit them.
The case lingered for nearly a decade, and prosecutors finally dropped the charges against him.
Under an agreement with the prosecution, Paxton was to pay $300,000 in restitution and perform community service without admitting guilt.
“There will never be a conviction in this case, nor am I guilty,” Paxton said in a statement at the time.
Impeachment Attempt Failed
In 2023, Paxton survived impeachment by the Texas legislature, becoming one of three state officials ever impeached. While Paxton was acquitted, the other two, former Gov. James Ferguson and former State District Judge O.P. Carrillo, were removed from office in 1917 and 1975, respectively.
With the backing of Dade Phelan, state House speaker at the time, the House issued 20 articles of impeachment, including charges of bribery, abuse of office to benefit a donor, and obstruction of justice. The Texas Senate acquitted him on all counts. The most senators voting to impeach on a single article was 14, well below the 21-vote threshold needed. Most were Democrats.
Paxton criticized his impeachment and temporary suspension from office, describing the proceedings as politically motivated and supported by Democrats and certain Republicans.
However, the impeachment exposed evidence of an extramarital affair. Angela Paxton, Paxton’s wife, who was also a sitting state senator during his impeachment trial, filed for divorce in 2025 after 38 years of marriage.
Lost Whistleblower Lawsuit
Paxton fired top deputies in 2020 after they accused him of bribery and abuse of office. The former employees reported him to the FBI, which launched an investigation during the Biden administration. Paxton denied the allegations against him.
After negotiations, Paxton agreed to pay the former staffers $3.3 million. However, the deal fell through, and the whistleblowers were ultimately awarded $6.6 million in 2025 by a judge who found that they were fired in retaliation and that Paxton violated the Texas Whistleblower Act.
Paxton decided not to appeal the case, but called the judgment “ridiculous” and “not based on the facts or the law.”
In early 2025, before Trump’s inauguration, the U.S. Department of Justice declined to prosecute Paxton, ending the federal probe into the whistleblower complaints.
Law License Threatened
In response to Paxton’s 2020 lawsuit challenging the presidential election results, the Texas State Bar filed an ethics suit against him related to his support of Trump’s claims.
The state bar had sought to sanction Paxton, and the punishment could have ranged from a private reprimand to disbarment.
The Texas Supreme Court dismissed the lawsuit in 2025 after the state bar filed a motion to dismiss. This came after the high court had previously tossed a separate lawsuit against Paxton’s top aide for involvement in the 2020 election challenge.
