Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, faces a surprisingly tough primary race as a slew of Republican rivals promise the same brand of conservative politics without the never-ending scandals that have dogged the incumbent.
The leading challenger in the March 1 primary is George P. Bush, the grandson of one president and nephew of another. He’s hoping a famous name and his own ties to Trump could help him unseat the two-term attorney general.
Paxton enjoys a national reputation from frequent media appearances to tout his lawsuits against the Biden administration’s policies on immigration and vaccine mandates, as well as his failed efforts to contest the 2020 election results. He’s sued Alphabet Inc. on antitrust grounds, clashed with Wall Street banks accused of discriminating against the gun industry and been a proponent of recently enacted Texas laws that banned most abortions and created new limitations around voting.
