Why Ken Paxton Supporters Are Willing To Overlook His Scandals

Ken Paxton is the perfect republican in the eyes of GOP voters, despite his scandals regarding cheating on his wife or the open FBI investigation on felony security fraud charges and abuse of power. He is still set to beat his challenger Commissioner George P. Bush.

Bush has attempted to use his constant scandals as ammunition to beat him in the race but to no avail. Attorney Paxton is still at the front, with republicans supporting him and his side of the narrative, encouraging the red party supporters to “end the Bush dynasty”.

“I really don’t care as long as he’s fighting the fight,” said Chris Byrd, a member of the State Republican Executive Committee, for The Texas Tribune. “Like him or not, Ken Paxton has exhibited more courage in fighting evil than any attorney general we’ve had.”

Paxton has received praise from GOP members, especially and directly from Donald Trump, for being an “exceptional” republican who is not afraid to go to the extreme to fight for the party’s ideals: banning abortion, striping the LGBTQ community of its rights, gun use and the discrimination of immigrants. 

Bush isn’t pro-choice or anti-discrimination, but many Republicans have cataloged him as someone with too much of a soft approach. They would rather have a candidate who isn’t afraid to express controversial opinions, despite being on the FBI list for committing several crimes while in office.

Bush wasted more money than Paxton during this campaign: $2.3 million to $2 million, yet the latter has been beating him at the polls ever since the race started. The discourse about who is the real Republican, who is the most radical, became the focus of the campaign, and Paxton has been winning the game.

Colette Laine, a Spring Branch coffee shop owner, said to the Texas Tribune: “I like that he’s a fighter, I like that he has a lot of lawsuits out. He’s really utilizing his office.” And it is not that the scandals are not known, but more that people are willing to overlook these issues and categorize them as “personal aspects of his life” and focus on the work he is doing while in office, and his campaign speeches.

For many conservatives, Attorney Paxton’s actions have been what has blocked various actions from Biden’s administration, for which they show gratitude and present as him “winning the battle”. He has successfully won over the most extremist members of the GOP, as well as Christians and Trump supporters, something Bush failed to do.