What He Did
In December 2020, Ken Paxton filed an original action at the U.S. Supreme Court — Texas v. Pennsylvania (No. 22O155) — asking the Court to invalidate the certified election results of Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. If successful, the lawsuit would have disenfranchised tens of millions of voters.
The Legal Argument
Paxton argued that changes to election procedures in those four states violated the U.S. Constitution. Legal scholars across the political spectrum called the suit baseless. Texas had no legal standing to challenge how other states conduct their own elections — a fundamental principle of federalism that Paxton, as a state attorney general, would be expected to understand.
The Supreme Court's Response
The Supreme Court rejected the case on December 11, 2020. The order stated that Texas had not demonstrated a judicially cognizable interest in the manner in which another state conducts its elections. In plain terms: Texas had no business telling other states how to run their elections.
January 6 Rally
Paxton also addressed the crowd at the rally near the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, encouraging supporters to continue contesting the election results. He later sought to distance himself from the violence that followed when the Capitol was breached.
The Political Context
Trump endorsed Paxton during his impeachment proceedings and again for his 2026 U.S. Senate run. The election lawsuit cemented Paxton's position as one of Trump's most visible allies among state attorneys general — a relationship that has defined his political trajectory since 2020.
Sources
- Texas v. Pennsylvania, No. 22O155 (U.S. Dec. 11, 2020) — Supreme Court order
- Texas Tribune — election lawsuit coverage
- NPR, PBS — January 6 rally reporting
- CNBC — Trump endorsement of Paxton, May 2026