HOUSTON – The hotly contested race for Texas Attorney General was decided by the voters on Tuesday.
In a race that came down to the wire, Republican incumbent Ken Paxton beat Democrat Justin Nelson for the position of the state’s top cop.
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Paxton won a second term while still under felony indictment for securities fraud.
Paxton has spent nearly his entire first term in office charged with defrauding investors in a tech startup. He has pleaded not guilty and faces five to 99 years in prison if convicted.
Nelson staked his campaign on reminding voters that Paxton was indicted and still awaiting trial. The case has languished in court for nearly a year after a Paxton ally sued over how much special prosecutors in the case are being paid.
Paxton was indicted in 2015 but has steadied his political career by becoming a strong supporter of President Donald Trump and leading lawsuits over religious liberty and anti-abortion laws.
Nelson, an Austin attorney, has served as clerk for Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. He has also founded an organization aimed at electing the President of the United States by popular vote.