- State
- Texas
- Office / race
- U.S. Senate
- Party
- Republican
- Reviewed
- October 24, 2026
Career timeline
The office he is seeking
Ken Paxton is the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas in the November 3, 2026 election. He remains the state’s attorney general during the campaign. A Senate seat would change the nature of his work: from leading a state legal office and pursuing litigation to voting on federal legislation, nominations and spending.
Education and private practice
Paxton studied psychology and business at Baylor University before earning a law degree at the University of Virginia. His official biography records work at Strasburger & Price, as in-house counsel for J.C. Penney and in his own McKinney law practice. Those jobs preceded his political career and help explain the legal background he brought to public office.
Sources: Texas Attorney General — biography ↗
From the legislature to attorney general
He first won election to the Texas House in 2002, later served in the state Senate and became attorney general in January 2015. He won reelection in 2018 and 2022. The attorney general’s office handles matters including consumer protection, child support, legal advice to state officials and representation of Texas in court; its responsibilities extend beyond the cases attracting national headlines.
Sources: Texas Attorney General — biography ↗
The conservative case he makes
His campaign emphasizes litigation against federal policies, limits on government power, gun rights and a confrontational approach to large corporations. These are the priorities his campaign chooses to present, not an independent scorecard of legal success. Voters can compare that account with the cases filed, the relief courts actually granted and the responsibilities of the Senate office he is seeking.
The impeachment outcome
The Texas House impeached Paxton in 2023 over allegations involving misuse of office. The state Senate acquitted him on all 16 articles it considered that September, allowing him to keep his job. An impeachment allegation and an acquittal are distinct parts of the record. The profile reports the outcome without presenting an accusation as a conviction.
A separate securities case
In March 2024, Reuters reported an agreement resolving long-running state securities-fraud charges. It required restitution, community service and legal education, with dismissal conditioned on compliance. Paxton did not admit wrongdoing. That agreement was separate from the impeachment proceeding. Combining the two into a single claim would obscure both the allegations and the different legal processes involved.
The question his résumé raises
Editorial analysis: Paxton offers years of statewide office and a clearly defined conservative identity. The same record gives voters specific legal and ethical questions to weigh. The campaign asks them to decide whether his approach to litigation and confrontation would serve Texas effectively in a legislative chamber, where passing a policy requires support beyond one office.
Sources: Paxton campaign — biography and priorities ↗ · Ballotpedia — Ken Paxton, 2026 candidacy ↗
Prepared with AI assistance. Source-based reporting checked on October 24, 2026. This article does not update automatically. Read our editorial standards.
