| | In the summer of 2020, Paxton's long-time conservative credentials came under scrutiny when he wrote a trial court asking that a suit filed in [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] by Dr. Steven F. Hotze, executive director of the group, Conservative Republican, be dismissed for lack of standing and jurisdiction. Hotze challenged the designation "non-essential businesses" used during the [[coronavirus]] pandemic by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who has ruined many businesses with her directives. Hotze even questioned the conservative credentials of Governor [[Greg Abbott]], who declined at the time to call the state legislature in special session to address the matter of pandemic closures.<ref>Dr. Steven F. Hotze, "Texas Atty. Gen. Ken Paxton supported avowed Socialist Democrat, Harris County Judge Hidalgo in the lawsuit, Hotze et al. v Hidalgo," Conservative Republicans of Texas, August 4, 2020.</ref> | | In the summer of 2020, Paxton's long-time conservative credentials came under scrutiny when he wrote a trial court asking that a suit filed in [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] by Dr. Steven F. Hotze, executive director of the group, Conservative Republican, be dismissed for lack of standing and jurisdiction. Hotze challenged the designation "non-essential businesses" used during the [[coronavirus]] pandemic by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, who has ruined many businesses with her directives. Hotze even questioned the conservative credentials of Governor [[Greg Abbott]], who declined at the time to call the state legislature in special session to address the matter of pandemic closures.<ref>Dr. Steven F. Hotze, "Texas Atty. Gen. Ken Paxton supported avowed Socialist Democrat, Harris County Judge Hidalgo in the lawsuit, Hotze et al. v Hidalgo," Conservative Republicans of Texas, August 4, 2020.</ref> |
| − | ==2022 Re-election==In the primary held on March 1, 2022, former State Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman and outgoing [[U.S. Representative]] [[Louie Gohmert]] of [[Tyler, Texas|Tyler]] finished in third and fourth place, respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/louie-gohmert-republican-lawmaker-who-downplayed-the-insurrection-wants-to-be-the-top-law-enforcement-officer-in-texas/ar-AAR1jMm?ocid=msedgntp|title=Louie Gohmert: Republican lawmaker who downplayed the insurrection wants to be the top law enforcement officer in Texas|publisher=msn.com|date=November 23, 2021|author=Devan Cole|accessdate=November 24, 2021}}</ref> | + | ==2022 Re-election== |
| | + | In the primary held on March 1, 2022, former State Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman and outgoing [[U.S. Representative]] [[Louie Gohmert]] of [[Tyler, Texas|Tyler]] finished in third and fourth place, respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/louie-gohmert-republican-lawmaker-who-downplayed-the-insurrection-wants-to-be-the-top-law-enforcement-officer-in-texas/ar-AAR1jMm?ocid=msedgntp|title=Louie Gohmert: Republican lawmaker who downplayed the insurrection wants to be the top law enforcement officer in Texas|publisher=msn.com|date=November 23, 2021|author=Devan Cole|accessdate=November 24, 2021}}</ref> |
| | Paxton won renomination to a third term in the Republican [[primary]] runoff held on May 24, 2022, when he handily defeated the outgoing state Land Commissioner [[George P. Bush]], the son of the [[Moderate Republican]] former [[Florida]] [[Governor]] [[Jeb Bush]] and uncle of the Moderate Republican former [[U.S. President]] [[George W. Bush]]. In the 2022 runoff, Paxton polled 630,064 votes (68 percent) to Bush's 297,025 (32 percent). Paxton then faced the challenge from [[liberal]] [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] attorney general nominee Rochelle Mercedes Garza, a former attorney with the [[American Civil Liberties Union]] from [[Brownsville]] who graduated from [[Brown University]] in [[Providence]], [[Rhode Island]] and then obtained her law degree in 2011 from the University of Houston. Notwithstanding issues surrounding him, Paxton won re-election to this third term in office. | | Paxton won renomination to a third term in the Republican [[primary]] runoff held on May 24, 2022, when he handily defeated the outgoing state Land Commissioner [[George P. Bush]], the son of the [[Moderate Republican]] former [[Florida]] [[Governor]] [[Jeb Bush]] and uncle of the Moderate Republican former [[U.S. President]] [[George W. Bush]]. In the 2022 runoff, Paxton polled 630,064 votes (68 percent) to Bush's 297,025 (32 percent). Paxton then faced the challenge from [[liberal]] [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] attorney general nominee Rochelle Mercedes Garza, a former attorney with the [[American Civil Liberties Union]] from [[Brownsville]] who graduated from [[Brown University]] in [[Providence]], [[Rhode Island]] and then obtained her law degree in 2011 from the University of Houston. Notwithstanding issues surrounding him, Paxton won re-election to this third term in office. |