Warren Kenneth Paxton Jr. was born on December 23, 1962, at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota. He has served as the attorney general of Texas since 2015 and is a member of the Republican Party.
โ๏ธ Legal Career and Education
Paxton received a bachelor’s degree in psychology in 1985 and an MBA in 1986, both from Baylor University. He received a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1991.
After graduating from law school, he worked at the law firm of Strasburger & Price and as in-house counsel for J.C. Penney. In 2002, he opened his own law practice.
๐ณ๏ธ Political Rise and Elections
Paxton served in the Texas Senate representing the eighth district and as a member of the Texas House of Representatives. He was first elected attorney general in 2014, rising to power as an ally of the Tea Party movement.
In 2018, Paxton won a second term as attorney general, narrowly defeating Democratic nominee Justin Nelson. He won the office for the third time in the 2022 Texas attorney general election.
โก Impeachment and Legal Troubles
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, 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 121โ23, leading to his suspension. In September 2023, the Texas Senate voted 16โ14 to acquit Paxton of all articles of impeachment, ending his suspension from office.
๐๏ธ 2026 Senate Campaign
In April 2025, Paxton announced that he would run for the United States Senate in the 2026 election in Texas, challenging incumbent senator John Cornyn. Following a primary election, Paxton defeated Cornyn in a runoff for the Republican nomination.
He will face Democrat James Talarico in the general election.
๐ Key Legal Actions and Positions
After Joe Biden won the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Paxton aided Trump in his efforts to overturn the result. He filed the unsuccessful Texas v. Pennsylvania case in the U.S. Supreme Court.
Paxton supports bans on access to abortion. He sued to block emergency abortions under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act.
Paxton initiated a lawsuit seeking to have the Affordable Care Act ruled unconstitutional in its entirety.
| Year | Event | Office | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | First elected | Texas House of Representatives | Won |
| 2014 | First elected | Texas Attorney General | Won |
| 2023 | Impeached | Texas Attorney General | Acquitted |
| 2026 | Republican nominee | U.S. Senate | Runoff won |