Ken Paxton Announces Senate Run Amid Personal Allegations and Rival Attacks

Ken Paxton, the current Attorney General of Texas, recently declared his candidacy for the U.S. Senate, intending to run against long-serving incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the scheduled primary elections in 2026. This announcement comes just as his opponent's campaign has begun to publicize allegations pertaining to Paxton's personal life, claiming that he lacks integrity.

In an interview on Fox News, Paxton positioned himself as a champion of Republican principles. He highlighted the necessity for a senator who would actively uphold the values of Texas conservatives and support the agenda put forth by former President Donald Trump, establishing a clear contrast with Cornyn, who has frequently voted in line with Trump's policies. Cornyn's team quickly responded by labeling Paxton a fraud, claiming that Paxton's anti-woke rhetoric conflicts with his financial support for legal initiatives that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Furthermore, they cited accusations of Paxton using misleading Uber accounts to conceal personal affairs, which they argue undermines his professed moral values.

The backdrop of this political contest is Paxton's recent struggle with a challenging impeachment vote related to bribery allegations. Documents from the impeachment proceedings revealed that Paxton allegedly misused Uber services to meet with a woman linked to a developer involved in his impeachment case. Additionally, with Paxton's family life as a notable aspect of the scrutiny, he and his wife, Angela, raise four children and identify as evangelical Christians.

As the campaign develops, analysts expect this primary race to escalate in both intensity and financial expenditure, with experts predicting it could become the most costly primary in Texas's history. Republican strategist Dave Carney remarked on the potential for significant political shifts, such as competition for the attorney general position, which may arise as candidates reposition themselves following this heated primary. Notably, Paxton has spearheaded initiatives with attorneys general from other Republican-led states to challenge DEI practices in the private sector, indicative of his hardliner stance on various issues.