As the Texas Republican Senate runoff between Attorney General Ken Paxton and incumbent Senator John Cornyn barrels toward its May 26, 2026, conclusion, Paxton’s office has unleashed a flurry of investigations, lawsuits, and public threats that have reverberated far beyond the state’s borders. The surge in activity has not only energized the conservative base but also sparked a heated debate about the intersection of law enforcement and electoral politics in the Lone Star State.
Paxton’s communications operation has reached a fever pitch since early January, issuing 102 news releases related to investigations and lawsuits—nearly matching the entire output of previous years in just four and a half months, according to The Dallas Morning News. Topics range from immigration, abortion, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies to Sharia law, Islam, China, election maps, visa fraud, birthright citizenship, and foreign influence. The sheer breadth and timing of these announcements have led critics to claim Paxton is wielding the attorney general’s office as a campaign tool rather than a neutral enforcer of the law.
Supporters, however, see things differently. “He’s been suing the pants off people. I like that,” Laura Oakley, president of the Grapevine Republican Club, told The Dallas Morning News. They argue that Paxton is simply delivering on the promises that propelled him to office, taking on the fights Texas conservatives care most about.
One of the most high-profile recent actions came just days before the runoff, when Paxton announced that Texas Children’s Hospital—the largest children’s hospital in the U.S.—had settled a lawsuit with his office over transgender procedures on minors. The settlement, as reported by TNND and The Hill, requires the hospital to create the country’s first “detransition clinic,” fire five physicians who performed transgender procedures on minors, pay the state $10 million, and cease all transgender procedures on children.
According to Paxton’s office, the new clinic will provide free care for five years to patients seeking to “reverse the damage caused by ideologically-motivated physicians.” In a statement, Paxton declared, “I applaud Texas Children’s Hospital for changing course and committing to being a part of the solution by agreeing to form a first-of-its-kind Detransition Clinic that will help provide free care to those who have been victimized by twisted, morally bankrupt transgender ideology. Under my watch, I will investigate and bring the full force of the law against any Texas hospital that abuses children with harmful medical interventions to ‘transition’ kids.”
Texas Children’s Hospital, for its part, maintained that it had always complied with state law but settled to avoid “endless and costly litigation.” In a statement to The Hill, hospital representatives said, “The settlement closes a chapter that has been wrought with falsehoods and distractions. It will allow us to redirect those precious resources to focus on the life-saving care and groundbreaking discoveries of our exceptional clinicians and scientists. We stand proud knowing we will always put our purpose over politics and that we have and will continue to follow the law.”
The Texas AG’s office has also been active in the realm of municipal finance. On May 16, Paxton notified more than 130 Texas cities—including Rusk, Mount Enterprise, and Chireno—that they are prohibited from raising property taxes above the no-new-revenue tax rate due to noncompliance with Senate Bill 1851. This law, passed in 2025, requires cities to meet strict financial transparency and audit standards before increasing ad valorem taxes. The investigation, which covered over 1,000 municipalities, resulted in violation determination letters warning officials of potential enforcement actions and penalties.
“I will not allow cities to unlawfully raise taxes on hardworking Texans,” Paxton said in a press release. “That is why I took aggressive action against over 130 Texas cities to hold them accountable and ensure they comply with state law.” The probe remains ongoing, and more cities may be found noncompliant as reviews continue.
Paxton’s aggressive tactics have not been without controversy. The timing and volume of his office’s announcements have drawn accusations from Cornyn and others that he is leveraging his position for political advantage. Cornyn, who finished first in the March primary but failed to secure a majority, has accused Paxton of “abusing his government office for personal and political gain,” referencing a nonbinding legal opinion Paxton issued that overturned DEI guidance Cornyn himself had written as Texas attorney general in 1999. “Was this bogus ‘opinion’ an illegal, in-kind contribution to his campaign? Inquiring minds (and the Federal Election Commission) want to know,” Cornyn posted on social media.
Paxton’s campaign has faced similar allegations from groups like ActBlue, the Democratic fundraising platform he sued last month for allegedly allowing improper foreign donations. ActBlue countersued, with chief legal officer Lawrence Oliver stating, “He is wasting taxpayer dollars to benefit his political ambitions.”
Yet, for every critic, there are political analysts and consultants who view Paxton’s approach as textbook campaign strategy. “You use the tools available to you, right?” Sara Johnson, a political scientist at Southern Methodist University, told The Dallas Morning News. “It also helps to consider who the campaign is directed at right now: the primary voters, the most Republican of the Republicans.” Wayne Hamilton, a Republican consultant, echoed that sentiment, saying, “Put the same spotlight on most of our elected officials, especially the ones in very highly contested races on either side of the aisle, and we’re going to see the same thing.”
Paxton’s investigations have often targeted hot-button issues already circulating in conservative media and activist circles. For example, after Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo posted claims about the Latino voter advocacy group Jolt Initiative registering undocumented immigrants, Paxton sued to disband the group. A judge later ruled that Paxton’s office had “not offer[ed] any plausible proof” of wrongdoing and acted “in bad faith.”
Some investigations have generated immediate compliance or policy reversals—school districts have rushed to gather records, cities have reversed course, and corporations have scrambled to respond in court. Others have dragged on with little public resolution, leaving targets in limbo and the public uncertain about outcomes. For instance, after investigating alleged Islamic Games events in Texas schools, Paxton’s office demanded records but, according to Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Superintendent Douglas Killian, never followed up after the district complied.
Paxton’s office has also exonerated at least one company in the past year, announcing in April that Superior HealthPlan had violated no laws after being accused of improper surveillance. But such public statements of exoneration are rare, and many inquiries begin with aggressive records requests that can carry serious legal consequences if ignored.
With the Cornyn-Paxton runoff just days away, the attorney general’s relentless pace shows no signs of slowing. Whether voters see his actions as principled enforcement or political theater may well determine the outcome of one of Texas’s most closely watched races in years.