10 Reasons To Vote Against Ken Paxton (As If We Needed More)

Halloween has just passed and now that we’ve dodged all the vampires and ghouls, something spookier lurks just around the corner: the possibility of corrupt Ken Paxton winning a third term.

To help y’all avoid any jump scares from Paxton’s past, here’s a list of some of the worst things he’s done while in office:

1. The Texas State Bar sued him for his pattern of professional misconduct, including his decision to file a federal lawsuit seeking to overturn the 2020 election in battleground states where Trump lost. Without any evidence to back his claims.
2. Paxton has been indicted on securities fraud charges and has gone SEVEN years without ever standing trial for his felony offense. 
3. He’s under investigation by the FBI after his own employees reported him for bribery and abuse of office.
4. Paxton celebrated when SCOTUS overturned Roe v. Wade and gave his employees the day off. At the same time, he triggered the enforcement of a third, nearly 200-year-old abortion ban because, apparently, two bans weren’t enough.
5. When abortion justice organizations tried to take him to court to protect Texans’ rights to travel out of state for abortion procedures, he ran away!
6. He’s actively fundraising and campaigning with a corrupt former president, peddling election misinformation, and making voters doubt the very election process he’s asking them to use to reelect him.
7. He called gender-affirming care by families and doctors “child abuse” and told the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate families providing life-saving care to their transgender children. He’s taking time and resources away from children in actual abuse situations, and, thanks to him and his buddy Gov. Greg Abbott, the DFPS is on the brink of collapse.
8. He ignored state and federal law (surprise, surprise) and told county elections offices to allow people to view ballots the day after they’re counted. Election laws require ballots remain secure for at least 22 months after an election.
9. On top of everything, he’s charging taxpayers for his legal fees! As of August, he’s spent over $500,000 of Texans’ money to get out of his troubles with the law, and that amount has undoubtedly increased since then.
10. He’s one of the top criminals in Texas. But with powerful allies, an endless supply of money, and a thirst for power, the spookiest Paxton fact is that his lawbreaking streak isn’t going to halt any time soon — unless we stop him. 

Bonus reason: 

While Paxton runs from the law, Rochelle Garza is running to replace him. Garza is beyond qualified to be Texas’ next attorney general. She’s a lifelong fighter for border communities in Texas and believes that “it doesn’t matter who you are or where you live, everyone deserves a fair shot to get ahead.”

Garza took Paxton and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh to court and won. Thanks to her, teens in immigration custody are now given the “Garza Notice,” informing them of their right to access abortion free of obstruction and retaliation.

If we want our state’s chief legal officer to have integrity, we must do whatever we can to elect Garza as Texas’ next attorney general. Early voting is from Oct. 24 to Nov. 4. Election Day is Nov. 8. Find what’s on your ballot at Vote411.org. For information on Voter IDs, election deadlines, and more, check out GoVoteTexas.org!

If you or anyone you know runs into issues at the polls, call or text 866-OUR-VOTE to speak with a trained Election Protection volunteer.