Republican · Texas Senate · 2026
Ken Paxton
Paxton was born on an Air Force base in North Dakota, where his father was stationed.
Biography
Ken Paxton was born in North Dakota while his father was stationed at Minot Air Force Base.1 He earned psychology and business degrees at Baylor, where he served as student body president.2 He has four children and five grandchildren.2
After law school at the University of Virginia, Paxton worked at a law firm and as corporate counsel for J.C. Penney, then ran his own practice in McKinney for 14 years.2 He was elected to the Texas House in 2002 and the state Senate in 2012 before becoming attorney general in 2015.2 He is in his third term as attorney general, following reelections in 2018 and 2022.2 His office handles consumer protection, child support enforcement and litigation representing the state.2
His office obtained a $1.4 billion Meta settlement in 2024 over biometric data collection.34 It also finalized a $1.375 billion Google settlement in 2025, resolving privacy claims involving location information, private browsing and biometric data.56 Google admitted no wrongdoing, and the agreement required no new product changes.6
Paxton proposes new deductions for medical expenses and home purchases, alongside doubling the child tax credit.7 He also supports repealing the federal gas tax and reducing restrictions on oil and gas production.8 His Republican primary victory over John Cornyn sets up the contest with Talarico for the outgoing senator's seat.8
Record and controversies
Financial disclosure reporting
Whistleblower judgment and dropped appeal
In April 2025, a judge entered a roughly $6.6 million civil judgment after finding that Paxton's office violated the Texas Whistleblower Act by retaliating against former deputies who reported suspected wrongdoing.10 Paxton had stopped contesting the underlying claims, later appealed and then dropped the appeal in July 2025; his office continued to call the employees' claims baseless.10 The judgment is against the attorney general's office and calls for state payment, distinct from a personal criminal conviction or the separate impeachment acquittal.10
Impeachment, dismissed fraud case and divorce filing
The Texas House impeached Paxton in 2023; the Senate acquitted him on the sixteen articles tried and dismissed four others.11 This was the outcome of the impeachment proceeding, distinct from his separate securities fraud prosecution.
The securities fraud charges were dismissed in June 2025 after Paxton completed a pretrial diversion agreement, including restitution and community service.12 The dismissal was neither a conviction nor an acquittal.
Angela Paxton filed for divorce in 2025 and alleged adultery in her petition.13 In September 2026, she urged Republican women to vote for their party's candidates despite objections to individuals, without naming her estranged husband in the speech.13 The adultery claim is an allegation in the divorce petition, not a court finding.