Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Ken Paxton
How Ken Paxton built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.
Ken Paxton is an American politician and lawyer serving as the Attorney General of Texas since 2015. A Republican, he previously served in the Texas Senate and the Texas House of Representatives. He has faced legal challenges, including indictments and impeachment proceedings, related to alleged securities fraud, abuse of office, and bribery. Despite these controversies, he has remained a prominent figure in Texas politics, known for his conservative stances and legal battles against the federal government.
1988: Returned to School
In 1988, after working as a management consultant for two years, Paxton returned to school.
1991: Worked at Strasburger & Price, L.L.P.
From 1991 to 1995, Paxton worked at Strasburger & Price, L.L.P.
1995: Joined J.C. Penney Company, Inc.
In 1995, Paxton began working at J.C. Penney Company, Inc.
November 4, 2002: Won Election to Texas House in District 70
On November 4, 2002, Paxton won the election for the Texas House in District 70.
2002: Left J.C. Penney Company, Inc.
In 2002, Paxton concluded his employment at J.C. Penney Company, Inc.
2004: Analysis of voter fraud convictions in Texas
An analysis by KXAN found that 24 of 138 people convicted of voter fraud in Texas between 2004 and September 2020 spent time in jail.
2004: Won Re-election to Texas House
In 2004, Paxton won re-election against Democrat Martin Woodward to the Texas House.
2006: Won Re-election to Texas House
In 2006, Paxton won re-election to the Texas House, defeating Rick Koster and Robert Virasin.
2010: Ran Unopposed for Re-election
In 2010, Paxton ran unopposed for re-election to the Texas House.
2012: Won Election to Texas Senate
In 2012, Paxton won election to the Texas Senate, replacing Florence Shapiro.
2013: Joe Straus re-elected as Speaker
In 2013, Joe Straus was re-elected to his second term as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.
2013: Began Serving in Texas Senate
In 2013, Paxton began serving in the Texas Senate.
March 4, 2014: Led Republican Primary for Attorney General
On March 4, 2014, Paxton led a three-candidate field in the Republican primary for Texas Attorney General with 44.4% of the vote.
May 27, 2014: Won Runoff Election for Attorney General
On May 27, 2014, Paxton won the runoff election against Dan Branch for the Republican nomination for Texas Attorney General.
November 4, 2014: Won General Election for Attorney General
On November 4, 2014, Paxton defeated Sam Houston, winning the general election to become Attorney General.
2014: First elected attorney general
In 2014, Paxton was first elected attorney general of Texas, rising to power as an ally of the Tea Party movement.
January 5, 2015: Took Office as Attorney General
On January 5, 2015, Paxton officially took office as the Attorney General of Texas.
January 2015: Began Term as Attorney General
In January 2015, Paxton's term as Attorney General began, concluding his service in the Texas Senate.
July 28, 2015: Paxton Indicted on Securities Fraud Charges
On July 28, 2015, Ken Paxton was indicted on three criminal charges, including two counts of securities fraud, marking the first such criminal indictment of a Texas Attorney General in thirty-two years.
2015: Joe Straus re-elected as Speaker
In 2015, Joe Straus was re-elected as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.
2015: Created Human Trafficking Unit in AG Office
In 2015, Paxton created a human trafficking unit in the AG office.
2015: Became Attorney General of Texas
In 2015, Warren Kenneth Paxton Jr. assumed the role of attorney general of Texas.
October 6, 2016: Raided Backpage.com Headquarters
On October 6, 2016, Paxton and then California Attorney General Kamala Harris announced that Texas authorities had raided the Dallas headquarters of Backpage.com and arrested CEO Carl Ferrer.
2016: Paxton investigates 2016 Texas voting records to uncover voter fraud
By February 2017, as part of his "crusade" against voter fraud, Ken Paxton sought to investigate 2016 Texas voting records to uncover potential voter fraud, such as voting by non-citizens or in the name of the deceased.
2016: Paxton sues City of Austin over handgun carry
In 2016, Ken Paxton sued the City of Austin to allow license holders to openly carry handguns in Austin City Hall. Paxton prevailed in the suit, and the court ordered the city of Austin to pay a fine to the state for each day it prevented investigators from the attorney general's office from carrying firearms.
2016: Campaign Fundraising in First Half of 2016
In 2016, Paxton's campaign raised $945,000 in the first half of the year.
2016: Paxton seeks to reinstate state's voter identification law
In 2017, the San Antonio Express-News criticized the state's voter identification law, which Paxton seeks to have reinstated after it was struck down by United States District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos of Corpus Christi, who found the measure to be a violation of the Voting Rights Act. Paxton's office appealed the decision.
February 2017: Paxton investigates 2016 Texas voting records to uncover voter fraud
By February 2017, as part of his "crusade" against voter fraud, Ken Paxton sought to investigate 2016 Texas voting records to uncover potential voter fraud, such as voting by non-citizens or in the name of the deceased. Officials in Bexar County said there have been no major cases of voter fraud in San Antonio.
March 2017: Paxton claims voter fraud exists in Texas
In March 2017, Ken Paxton told The Washington Times that he was convinced voter fraud exists in Texas, and that local election officials were not vigilant in detecting it.
May 2, 2017: ProPublica article reports no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Texas
According to a May 2, 2017, ProPublica article, there was no evidence of widespread voter fraud in Texas.
May 2017: AG's efforts to enact and enforce strictest voter ID law are plagued by delays
By May 2017, the Office of the AG's "efforts to enact and enforce the strictest voter ID law in the nation were so plagued by delays, revisions, court interventions and inadequate education that the casting of ballots in the 2016 election was inevitably troubled".
2017: Joe Straus re-elected as Speaker
In 2017, Joe Straus was re-elected as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.
November 6, 2018: Won Second Term as Attorney General
On November 6, 2018, Paxton won a second term as attorney general, defeating Justin Nelson and Michael Ray Harris.
2018: Angela Paxton Wins Texas Senate Seat
In 2018, Angela Paxton, Ken Paxton's wife, won the District 8 seat in the Texas Senate.
2018: Potential Re-election Bid
In 2018, Paxton held just under $3 million in his campaign account for a potential re-election bid.
2018: Re-elected Attorney General
In 2018, Paxton was re-elected as the attorney general of Texas.
2018: Paxton's office spent less time on voter fraud cases
Paxton's office spent almost double the time working on voter fraud cases in 2021 as it did in 2018.
2019: Quadrupled Human Trafficking Unit Funding
In 2019, Paxton convinced Texas lawmakers to more than quadruple the human trafficking unit's annual funding.
May 2020: Paxton opposes expansion of absentee voting
In May 2020, Ken Paxton opposed an expansion of absentee voting to voters who lack immunity to COVID-19. He publicly contradicted a district judge's ruling and persuaded the Texas Supreme Court to address the issue.
September 2020: Analysis of voter fraud convictions in Texas
An analysis by KXAN found that 24 of 138 people convicted of voter fraud in Texas between 2004 and September 2020 spent time in jail.
December 8, 2020: Paxton sues Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania
On December 8, 2020, Ken Paxton sued the states of Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, alleging unconstitutional actions in their presidential balloting and asking the Supreme Court to invalidate their electoral votes. The case was quickly dismissed.
2020: Paxton sues Harris County Clerk to block absentee ballot applications
During the 2020 election season, Ken Paxton sued Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins to block him from sending applications for absentee ballots to the county's registered voters. The Texas Supreme Court ultimately reversed lower court decisions and directed the trial court to enter an injunction against Hollins.
2020: Complaint Filed Against Paxton for Seeking to Overturn 2020 Presidential Election
In 2020, after Paxton sought to overturn the 2020 presidential election, Galveston Democrats filed a complaint against Paxton with the State Bar of Texas, alleging professional misconduct.
2020: Paxton falsely claims Biden 'overthrew' Trump
In October 2021, Ken Paxton falsely claimed that Joe Biden "overthrew" Donald Trump in the 2020 election.
2020: Ethics lawsuit regarding 2020 election
Ken Paxton faced scrutiny for his attempts to subvert the 2020 presidential election.
2020: Paxton's office finds few voter fraud cases
Ken Paxton's office spent more than 22,000 hours looking for voter fraud after the 2020 election, finding only 16 cases of false addresses on registration forms out of nearly 17 million registered voters.
May 2021: Dismissal of Ethics Complaint Reversed, Investigation Ordered
In May 2021, the Board of Disciplinary Appeals reversed the initial dismissal of an ethics complaint against Ken Paxton and ordered the Bar to investigate a possible violation of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Misconduct.
July 9, 2021: The Guardian reports on Paxton's pursuit of election-related crimes
According to a July 9, 2021 article in The Guardian, "[F]ew prosecutors have pursued election-related crimes more than Paxton."
July 11, 2021: The New York Times reports on Paxton's voter fraud mission
According to a July 11, 2021 article in The New York Times, even though voter fraud is "very rare in the United States," Ken Paxton has "made it a mission" as attorney general to lay voter-charge charges.
July 2021: Paxton orders arrest of Hervis Rogers
In July 2021, Ken Paxton ordered the arrest of Hervis Rogers, a Black man who voted while on parole, for allegedly violating Texas election laws.
October 2021: Paxton falsely claims Biden 'overthrew' Trump
In October 2021, Ken Paxton falsely claimed that Joe Biden "overthrew" Donald Trump in the 2020 election.
2021: Paxton's office spends more time on voter fraud cases
In 2021, Paxton's office spent almost double the time working on voter fraud cases as it did in 2018, recording over 22,000 staff hours but resolving only 16 prosecutions.
2021: Paxton's voter fraud unit closes few cases
In 2021, Paxton's voter fraud investigation unit had a budget of $1.9 million to $2.2 million, and by the end of the year, the office had closed only three cases of fraud.
2021: Paxton's office refuses to release work emails and text messages
In early 2021, Ken Paxton's office refused to provide his work emails and text messages sent or received while in Washington on January 6, after Texas news organizations requested them.
January 2022: Travis County DA gives Paxton deadline to comply
In January 2022, the Travis County district attorney gave Ken Paxton four days to comply with the state's open records law regarding his work emails and texts from January 6, 2021, or face a lawsuit.
May 2022: Ethics Lawsuit Filed Against Paxton
In May 2022, the Bar's Commission for Lawyer Discipline sued Ken Paxton in Collin County District Court for acting unethically in seeking to subvert the 2020 presidential election.
November 8, 2022: Paxton wins election for Attorney General of Texas office for the third time
On November 8, 2022, Paxton won the election for the Attorney General of Texas office for the third time. He advanced to the general election after winning primary contests earlier in the year.
2022: Re-elected Attorney General for a Third Term
In 2022, Paxton was re-elected as the attorney general of Texas, marking his third term in office.
2022: Charges against Hervis Rogers dismissed
In 2022, the charges against Hervis Rogers were dismissed after the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that Paxton had no authority to unilaterally charge Texans with election crimes.
February 2023: Tentative settlement reached with whistleblowers
In February 2023, Ken Paxton reached a tentative settlement with whistleblowers, agreeing to pay them $3.3 million. The settlement, which required state approval for funding, involved Paxton apologizing for referring to the plaintiffs as 'rogue employees' but did not include admission of fault or liability by either party.
February 2023: Paxton requests more taxpayer funds for his office
In late February 2023, Ken Paxton asked the Appropriations subcommittee of the Texas House of Representatives to provide more taxpayer funds to his office, including the full amount of the intended $3.3 million settlement of the lawsuit brought by whistleblowers from his office.
March 2023: Texas House committee begins investigation of Paxton
In March 2023, the Texas House General Investigating Committee began to investigate Ken Paxton.
May 2023: Paxton Impeached by Texas House of Representatives
In May 2023, Ken Paxton was impeached by the Texas House of Representatives following accusations from whistleblowers that he abused his power to assist a wealthy donor in exchange for possible benefits.
May 2023: Investigation of Paxton triggered by settlement request
In May 2023, the Texas House General Investigating Committee stated that the investigation of Ken Paxton was triggered by "Paxton's own request for taxpayer-funded settlement over his wrongful conduct." A spokeswoman for Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan concurred.
May 27, 2023: Paxton Impeached by Texas House
On May 27, 2023, Ken Paxton was impeached after the Texas House voted 121-23 in favor. As a result, Paxton was suspended from office pending a trial in the Texas Senate.
August 2023: Lawyers File Complaint Seeking to Prevent Paxton from Practicing Law
In August 2023, a week before Paxton's impeachment trial, fourteen lawyers filed a complaint with the State Bar seeking to prevent Paxton from practicing law, accusing him of abuse of office and other misconduct.
September 5, 2023: Paxton's Impeachment Trial Begins
On September 5, 2023, Ken Paxton's impeachment trial began in the Texas Senate. Paxton pleaded "not guilty", and the Senate voted down the motion to dismiss charges.
September 2023: Texas Supreme Court Rules Attorney General Subject to Whistleblower Act
In September 2023, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that the attorney general is subject to the Whistleblower Act.
September 16, 2023: Paxton Acquitted in Impeachment Trial
On September 16, 2023, Ken Paxton was acquitted in the Texas Senate of all articles of impeachment, allowing him to resume his duties as attorney general.
March 26, 2024: Paxton Reaches Agreement to Avoid Trial
On March 26, 2024, Ken Paxton reached an agreement with the special prosecutor's office, allowing him to avoid trial by agreeing to pay restitution, perform community service, and take ethics training.
2024: Paxton's unit raids Latino voting activists' offices
In 2024, a unit created by Ken Paxton raided the offices of Latino voting activists, seizing cellphones, computers, and documents as part of a voter fraud inquiry. The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) described the raids as an attempt to suppress Latino voters.
April 5, 2025: Whistleblowers awarded $6.6 million
On April 5, 2025, Travis County district court judge Catherine Mauzy awarded $6.6 million combined to four whistleblowers.
April 8, 2025: Announced Candidacy for U.S. Senate
On April 8, 2025, Paxton announced his candidacy for the United States Senate in the 2026 election.
2026: Running for United States Senate
In 2026, Paxton is running for the United States Senate challenging incumbent senator John Cornyn in the Republican primary.
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