The Announcement
On April 8, 2025, Ken Paxton announced his candidacy for the United States Senate, challenging incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn. The announcement came in the wake of — not despite — a record that includes felony indictments, impeachment by his own party, whistleblower firings, multiple affairs, a divorce, and documented patterns of abuse of office.
For many observers, the Senate campaign represented the ultimate test of whether accountability still functions in American politics. Paxton's decision to run was a calculated gamble: that his base of support, forged through aggressive conservative positions and loyalty to Donald Trump, would outweigh the accumulated weight of scandal and legal jeopardy.
The campaign represents a stark choice for Texas Republican primary voters: endorse a candidate with an unprecedented record of alleged misconduct, or hold the line on traditional expectations of public integrity.
No candidate with Paxton's legal and ethical record has ever successfully run for the U.S. Senate in modern American history. His candidacy is itself a referendum on whether such a record disqualifies someone from higher office.
The Record He's Running On
Ken Paxton is asking Texas voters to send him to the U.S. Senate while carrying the following record:
Securities Fraud
Felony securities fraud charges filed in 2015 for allegedly defrauding investors. Paxton recruited investors into a tech company without disclosing he was being paid to do so — a violation of Texas securities law. The case was pending for nearly a decade before Paxton reached a pretrial diversion deal in 2024 without trial, admitting no guilt but agreeing to restitution, community service, and legal ethics training. The charges were officially dismissed on June 18, 2025, after he completed the requirements.
Impeachment by the Texas House
Impeached by the Texas House of Representatives in May 2023 on 20 articles, including bribery, abuse of public trust, and obstruction of justice. The Republican-controlled House voted overwhelmingly to impeach. The Texas Senate acquitted him in a party-line vote, but the underlying facts of the case — trading official acts for favors from donor Nate Paul — were never disputed.
Whistleblower Retaliation
Eight senior deputies reported him to law enforcement in September 2020, alleging he abused his office on behalf of Nate Paul. Paxton fired or forced out the whistleblowers. Four of them sued for wrongful termination, and a court later awarded them $6.6 million in April 2025.
Corruption Involving Nate Paul
Extensive evidence of a quid pro quo arrangement with Austin real estate investor Nate Paul. Paxton allegedly used the AG's office to help Paul in exchange for personal benefits, including employing Paxton's mistress and remodeling his home.
Affairs and Divorce
Multiple extramarital affairs, including with a state senator and a subordinate aide. His marriage to state Senator Angela Paxton began unraveling publicly when she filed for divorce on July 10, 2025, citing adultery — nearly two years after his impeachment acquittal. The divorce proceedings remain ongoing as of early 2026, with property disputes and court records that were ultimately unsealed in December 2025 after media lawsuits. The personal conduct became a public issue when it intersected with his official duties and the Nate Paul corruption case.
Election Denial and January 6
Led the failed Texas v. Pennsylvania lawsuit attempting to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Spoke at the January 6 rally. Repeatedly promoted baseless claims of election fraud. His actions on behalf of Trump's false election narrative were central to his political brand heading into the Senate race.
Abuse of Office
Documented pattern of weaponizing the Attorney General's office for personal, political, and donor-related purposes. Used state resources to pursue personal vendettas, protect political allies, and reward donors.
This is not a normal political résumé. It is a comprehensive record of alleged criminality, documented corruption, and personal scandal — all of which Paxton is asking voters to overlook.
Trump Endorsement Dynamics
Paxton's political viability depends heavily on his relationship with Donald Trump. The Texas Attorney General spent years cultivating Trump's favor, most notably through aggressive and legally dubious efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The failed Texas v. Pennsylvania lawsuit — which legal experts widely condemned as frivolous — was widely interpreted as a bid for a Trump pardon on Paxton's pending securities fraud charges.
Whether Trump endorses Paxton in the primary against Cornyn could determine the race. Trump has had public tensions with Cornyn, who voted to certify the 2020 election and occasionally broke with Trump on key issues. Paxton is betting that Trump will reward his loyalty and overlook — or embrace — his scandal-plagued record.
As of this writing, Trump has not made a formal endorsement in the race. The dynamics remain fluid, with both campaigns actively courting Trump's support. For Paxton, a Trump endorsement is not just helpful — it may be essential to overcome voter concerns about his legal and ethical baggage.
Source: Texas Tribune, Associated Press
Tim Dunn Walks Away
In a significant development, Tim Dunn — a West Texas oil billionaire who had been Paxton's biggest and most loyal donor for years — refused to back Paxton's Senate bid. Dunn, a major force in Texas conservative politics, had stood by Paxton through the securities fraud indictment, the whistleblower scandal, and even the impeachment.
But when Paxton announced his Senate campaign, Dunn walked away. The decision was widely seen as a signal that even Paxton's most committed financial backers had reached a breaking point. When your most devoted supporter — someone who stuck with you through criminal charges and impeachment — declines to fund your next campaign, it suggests fundamental doubts about your viability and character.
Dunn's withdrawal also had practical implications: Paxton would need to find new sources of major funding to compete with Cornyn, who has deep establishment support and a formidable fundraising operation. The loss of Dunn was both a symbolic and strategic blow to Paxton's Senate ambitions.
Cornyn Campaign Attacks
The Cornyn campaign has seized on Paxton's record, particularly the divorce and personal scandals. In a Republican primary, attacking a rival's personal life is traditionally risky — GOP voters often view such attacks as inappropriate or "going negative." But Paxton's record provides ample material that goes well beyond personal conduct into the realm of criminal allegations and abuse of office.
Cornyn's strategy appears to be framing the race not as a policy contest, but as a choice about character and fitness for office. The campaign has highlighted Paxton's legal troubles, the impeachment, the whistleblower retaliation, and the personal scandals as evidence that he is unfit to represent Texas in the Senate.
The approach carries risk: Paxton's base may view the attacks as establishment elitism or disloyalty to a conservative fighter. But Cornyn is betting that enough Republican primary voters will balk at sending someone with Paxton's record to Washington.
Source: The Hill
What a Senator Paxton Would Mean
If elected, Ken Paxton would bring to the United States Senate a record unprecedented in modern American politics. He would be:
- The only sitting senator to have been impeached by his own state legislature — The Texas House voted to impeach him on 20 articles involving bribery, abuse of office, and obstruction. Though acquitted by the Senate, the underlying facts were never disputed.
- The only senator to have faced felony criminal charges while in office — The securities fraud case was pending for nearly a decade before being resolved through a settlement that avoided trial.
- The only senator whose top staff collectively reported him to law enforcement — Eight senior deputies made a criminal referral alleging abuse of office in September 2020. Those who were fired or forced out later sued.
- The only senator to have cost taxpayers millions in court judgments for wrongful termination and retaliation — A Travis County judge awarded four whistleblowers $6.6 million in April 2025.
- A senator whose personal conduct intersected with alleged official corruption — The affairs were not just private failings; they were central to the impeachment case, with allegations that Paxton used his office to benefit a donor who employed his mistress.
This is not a typical conservative-versus-moderate primary. It is a test of whether a candidate with this record can hold major public office in the United States. The outcome will send a clear signal about the state of accountability in American politics.
No person with a comparable record of legal and ethical violations has ever been elected to the U.S. Senate. Paxton's candidacy is itself a political experiment: can scandal be so normalized that it ceases to matter?
Source: Texas Tribune, Associated Press, Texas Monthly
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ken Paxton running for Senate in 2026?
Yes. Paxton announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate on April 8, 2025, challenging incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn in the 2026 Texas GOP primary. Representative Wesley Hunt is also a major candidate in the race.
Has Trump endorsed Paxton for Senate?
As of February 2026, Trump has not made a formal endorsement in the Texas Senate race. Both Paxton and Cornyn are actively seeking Trump's support. Paxton is counting on his aggressive loyalty to Trump — including filing the Texas v. Pennsylvania election lawsuit — to earn the endorsement.
Who is funding Paxton's Senate campaign?
Notably, Tim Dunn — Paxton's biggest longtime financial backer and one of Texas's most influential conservative megadonors — publicly refused to support the Senate bid. This was seen as a sign that even far-right funders had grown weary of Paxton's scandals.
What is Paxton's record going into the Senate race?
Paxton carries an unprecedented record including felony securities fraud charges (resolved without trial), impeachment on 20 articles, a $6.6 million taxpayer-funded whistleblower judgment, multiple affairs, a divorce, documented patterns of abuse of office, and a role in the January 6 rally.