Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has weathered numerous scandals over his career, is once again facing a challenge, this time from Democrat James Talarico in a race that has drawn national attention. Despite a history of accusations ranging from securities fraud to abuse of office, Paxton has consistently remained in elected office, surviving challenges from figures like Justin Nelson, George P. Bush, and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn.
Talarico's campaign aims to paint Paxton as emblematic of a corrupt political system that fails to improve Texans' lives. This strategy echoes past attempts to highlight Paxton's legal troubles. In 2018, Nelson ran television ads featuring security footage of Paxton pocketing a pen and questioning his integrity. Four years later, George P. Bush ran billboards calling Paxton a "crook" and referencing his mugshot from a securities fraud indictment. Earlier this year, Cornyn, facing a Republican primary challenge from Paxton, remarked that "judgment day is coming."
Paxton, who has never been convicted of any charges, has successfully positioned himself as a victim of political persecution, a tactic similar to that of former President Donald Trump. He has built a strong base of support by championing conservative legal battles on issues such as immigration, abortion, and transgender rights in the heavily Republican state. Voters like David and Nancy Lapp, a retired couple from Wolfforth, Texas, view Paxton as a "flawed person" but a "conservative warrior" who fights for "traditional American ideals."
Strategists who have worked against Paxton have warned that voters may have grown desensitized to repeated scandals. However, Talarico's team believes their approach, which focuses on Paxton as part of a broader culture of corruption, could resonate. Paxton's campaign, in turn, has accused Talarico of attempting to distract from his own "out-of-touch views."
Paxton was first elected attorney general in 2014. His 2018 opponent, Nelson, spent approximately $6.5 million, nearly half of Paxton's campaign spending, and narrowly lost by 3.6 percentage points. Nelson argued that his message was effective but needed to be amplified.
In 2022, Paxton faced George P. Bush, and his campaign, along with allied groups, outspent Bush's efforts significantly. Paxton ultimately defeated Bush by 34 percentage points in a runoff. In the general election that year, Paxton ran against Democratic civil rights lawyer Rochelle Garza. Despite Garza's campaign having extensive opposition research, she found it challenging to frame Paxton's past scandals effectively and lost by approximately 10 percentage points, while being significantly outspent.
Paxton's legal troubles continued, including a divorce and impeachment by the Texas House in 2023, though he was acquitted by the Senate. The securities fraud case concluded in 2024 with Paxton ordered to pay nearly $300,000 in restitution. Despite a federal investigation, the Biden administration's Justice Department decided not to prosecute Paxton in 2024.
In his challenge against Cornyn for the Senate seat, Paxton was heavily outspent by Cornyn and his allies, who reportedly invested over $90 million in advertising. However, with an endorsement from Donald Trump, Paxton won the runoff decisively.
Since entering the race against Talarico, Paxton has reported having $7.5 million available. Talarico, however, reported $21.5 million available as of last week. This financial advantage could allow Talarico to broadcast his message more widely than Paxton's previous opponents. Talarico has sought to introduce new questions about Paxton's conduct, including the handling of a child sexual abuse case involving Waco lawyer Adam Hoffman, where a plea agreement resulted in a misdemeanor charge and 60 days in jail, with the victim not testifying a second time. Talarico argues this demonstrates preferential treatment at the expense of Texans.