Warren Kenneth Paxton Jr. is currently representing the Republican Party in the 2026 US Senate race in Texas, where he will be competing against Democratic nominee James Talarico. With President Donald Trump backing Paxton, Republicans seek to retain the Senate seat in Texas. Having served as an attorney general, he has emerged as a prominent person in Texas politics.
Paxton began his political career in the Texas House of Representatives where he represented parts of Collin County. He was then elected to the Texas Senate in 2012 where he represented District 8. Paxton then took office as Texas attorney general and became the 51st person to hold this position.
Early life, education and family
Born in December 1962 in Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, Paxton’s father worked for the United States Air Force. He later attended Baylor University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1985 and an MBA in 1986. Paxton also served as Baylor’s student body president. He went on to earn his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1991.
Paxton is married to Angela Paxton, who he met in Baylor University as a student. Angela is a member of the Texas State Senate. After 38 years of marriage, she filed for a divorce alleging adultery. However, she continues to support his political campaigns. Paxton, 63, is a father to four children named Tucker, Abby, Mattie and Katie. He also has five grandchildren.
Policies and initiatives by Paxton
Ken Paxton strongly opposes his opponent James Talarico who he calls as “the most radical candidate in Texas history”. He continues to claim that Democrats have made Texas their “top target”. Describing himself as a “fearless conservative”, he made election integrity his major focus. He defended the voter-roll verification system for Texas including the use of the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database to verify voter eligibility.
Paxton also launched an investigation to determine whether doctors or vaccine makers received financial benefits for recommending vaccines for children. His office sent requests for information to more than 20 healthcare providers, insurers and pharmaceutical companies, including UnitedHealthcare and Pfizer. Paxton also took legal actions against COVID-19 vaccine mandates. His office represented Texas Governor Greg Abbott in a case challenging the Joe Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for Texas National Guard members. A federal appeals court ruled in favor of Texas, saying that the federal government could not punish non-federalized Guard members for refusing the mandate.
His office also focused on combating human trafficking. Through thorough investigations and legal actions. Paxton’s attorney general website claims that the Human Trafficking and Transnational/Organized Crime division of his office works with prosecutors, supports the victims and provides them training. His office has also filed lawsuits against hotel companies for charging hidden fees and showing misleading prices.
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Ken Paxton: Immigration, jobs, trade and tariffs
Immigration and border security have been integral parts of Ken Paxton’s policies. In the past, he has challenged federal immigration policies and advocated for a larger role of Texas when it comes to border enforcement. His office also defended the Senate Bill 4 which aims to protect the citizens of Texas by tracking and punishing federal immigration crimes. He also supported the construction of the US-Mexico border wall.
Paxton keeps reinforcing his promise of reducing taxes, cutting regulations and keeps encouraging Americans to manufacture more. His campaign promises to create more American jobs and expand domestic energy production. His “Protecting the Texas Promise” plan also proposes tax deductions for healthcare expenses and home purchases, as well as an increased child tax credit. He also promised to restrain government spendings.
Paxton aligns himself with President Donald Trump’s “America First” legislation that prioritizes American workers and businesses. However, tariffs have not been a major part of his campaign platform. He said tariffs were not the main issue affecting his campaign and instead pointed to the Iran war, gas prices and diesel costs as greater concerns.
Paxton’s stance on Iran war and artificial intelligence
Paxton faced criticism over his stance on the US-Iran war after a leaked audio from a private meeting showed him saying the war was hurting Republicans in the midterm elections. He also said that decisions made in Washington were outside his control, despite his close association with President Donald Trump. He also acknowledged in the audio that he cannot control or stop the war saying “I don’t make decisions”. Publicly, he has defended President Trump’s military action against Iran, saying he believed Iran was close to developing a nuclear weapon.
Paxton has also raised concerns about Chinese AI companies and data security. In 2025, his office launched an investigation on DeepSeek over its privacy practices and possible violations of Texas privacy law. His office also banned DeepSeek from devices used by its employees and sought information about the app from Google and Apple. Paxton said the investigation was aimed at protecting the personal data of citizens of Texas from potential risks linked to the Chinese AI company.
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Ken Paxton’s controversies
Paxton faced criticism due to his enforcement of abortion laws in Texas that ban nearly all abortions except when the mother has a serious medical emergency that risks her life or could severely damage her body. In September 2026, the family of Tierra Walker, a Texas woman who died in 2024 due to complications during pregnancy, sued Paxton and other officials, alleging that abortion restrictions in Texas contributed to her death. The lawsuit claims Walker was denied an abortion despite serious health complications.
In 2015, a Texas grand jury accused Paxton of felony securities fraud charges. He resolved the case in 2024 through a pretrial agreement that required him to perform community service, complete ethics classes and pay about $300,000 in restitution. He did not admit guilt. In 2023, the Texas House impeached Paxton due to allegations including bribery, abuse of office and misuse of public resources. The Texas Senate acquitted him of the charges in September 2023, allowing him to remain in office. He was also accused of using his office to benefit real estate developer Nate Paul, leading to an FBI investigation. Additionally, he has also faced criticism due to his alleged extramarital affair that led to his divorce in 2025.
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Net worth and what lies ahead
According to Forbes, Ken Paxton’s net worth is estimated at around $13 million. As per Federal Election Commission data, Ken Paxton’s campaign raised about $9.25 million between April 1 and June 30, 2026. Individual donors accounted for about $9.02 million of the total. His campaign reported about $7.49 million in spending and $1.76 million in cash on hand at the end of the reporting period. With years of experience in the state politics of Texas, Paxton is set to face his Democratic opponent James Talarico for the US Senate seat.
-By Tanisha Sharma
