Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton faces a high-stakes Senate campaign that serves as a defining moment for the state’s Christian nationalist movement. Influential activists and donors have backed Paxton through decades of political and personal scandals, positioning his Senate run as the ultimate test of their cultural influence in Texas.
The Impeachment Trial and Allegations of Corruption
In May 2023, the Republican-controlled Texas House of Representatives adopted 20 articles of impeachment against Paxton. According to the House proceedings, the charges stemmed from allegations that campaign contributor Nate Paul secured a job for Paxton’s alleged mistress at World Class Holdings, a real estate firm owned by Paul. The complaint stated that Paul provided Paxton with a fake Uber account for secret travel and paid for home renovations.
Investigators alleged that in exchange, Paxton used his office to interfere with a federal inquiry into Paul’s financial crimes involving $172m in loans. Paxton reportedly passed sealed FBI documents to Paul, installed a special prosecutor to target federal agents and judges, and halted foreclosures on Paul’s properties. In April 2025, Paul pleaded guilty and received four months of home confinement, five years of supervised release, and a $1m fine.
Despite these allegations, the Texas Senate acquitted Paxton by a 16-to-14 vote in September 2023. This followed a 2015 federal indictment for felony securities fraud, which Paxton avoided by agreeing to 100 hours of community service, legal ethics courses, and $271,000 in restitution to investors.
The Political Alliance of the Religious Right
Paxton’s political survival relies heavily on a network forged decades ago within the Southern Baptist Convention. In 1967, Paul Pressler and Paige Patterson launched a movement to take over the SBC and transform it into a political machine. Pressler used ties to his grandfather EE Townes, a leader of the Texas Regulars movement that opposed President Franklin D Roosevelt in 1944 and later folded into the Dixiecrat party.
Pressler and Patterson used their SBC influence to elect conservative leadership and systematically purge moderates from seminaries. That operational blueprint paved the way for Kelly Shackelford, who founded the First Liberty Institute in 1997. Shackelford built a political network funded by oil tycoons that propelled figures like Greg Abbott, Ted Cruz, Dan Patrick, Mike Johnson, and Ken Paxton into power.
Shackelford’s Defend Texas Liberty PAC backed Paxton during his impeachment trial, distributing loans and contributions to state lawmakers who ultimately voted to acquit him. Angela Paxton, a state senator and Paxton’s wife, served as a key conduit to Christian nationalist leaders before filing for divorce on biblical grounds in July 2025.
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Campaign Tactics and Rhetoric in the Senate Race
In his current Senate campaign, Paxton has leaned heavily into cultural attacks against his opponent, James Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian. Paxton and allied conservative groups have deployed artificial intelligence and social media to target Talarico with false claims regarding gender and religion. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller amplified these attacks on X by falsely claiming Democrats nominated a transgender Senate candidate.
PAC-funded deepfake advertisements have depicted Talarico performing medical procedures, despite Talarico’s stated opposition to gender transition surgeries for minors. Through these campaigns, Paxton presents himself as a defender of traditional Judeo-Christian values against progressive opponents.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Paxton Senate Campaign
What were the primary charges in Ken Paxton’s 2023 impeachment?
The Texas House of Representatives adopted 20 articles of impeachment accusing Paxton of bribery, abuse of public trust, and interference in a federal investigation involving campaign contributor Nate Paul.
How did the Texas Senate rule on the impeachment?
In September 2023, the Texas Senate voted 16-to-14 to acquit Paxton.
What role did Nate Paul play in the legal proceedings?
Nate Paul faced federal accusations involving $172m in loans and pleaded guilty in April 2025 to federal charges, receiving four months of home confinement, five years of supervised release, and a $1m fine.
Who is funding the network supporting Paxton?
Political action committees like Defend Texas Liberty, backed by conservative oil billionaires and organized through networks established by figures like Kelly Shackelford, have provided financial support for Paxton and aligned lawmakers.
Contextual Background on Conservative Networks in Texas
Historical Continuity: The political machinery supporting Paxton traces its roots directly to the 1960s Southern Baptist Convention realignment led by Paul Pressler and Paige Patterson. Their strategy of utilizing religious institutions for partisan political dominance established the playbook for modern Christian conservative organizing in Texas.
As the Senate race continues, Paxton’s campaign remains a focal point for the intersection of religious conservatism, legal controversy, and political survival in Texas.
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