AG Paxton backs North Texas challengers against his impeachment voters

After surviving an attempt to remove him from office, Attorney General Paxton has endorsed primary challengers against fellow Republicans who voted to impeach him earlier this year. The attorney general plans a statewide tour, trying to rally voters over the failed impeachment attempt. 

Paxton attended a meeting of the Collin County Republican Party last week in McKinney to make the endorsements for that county. He earlier sent out a press release for the Denton and Parker county lawmakers.

The entire GOP caucus from Collin County voted to impeach Paxton as part of the 121-member group that accused him of bribery and abuse of power back in May. Texas senators voted to acquit Paxton based largely on their belief the House didn't present enough evidence to remove him from office.

Paxton and Sen. Angela Paxton, his wife both live in Collin County and have longtime political roots there.

"We're going to clean house," Paxton told the crowd according to the Dallas Morning News.

Chuck Branch, a former McKinney city council member, has Paxton's support in his run against Freshman Representative Frederick Frazier, R - McKinney.

Allen City Council member Daren Meis is running against Representative Jeff Leach, R - Plano. Leach was a longtime friend of Paxton and gave an emotional closing statement during Paxton's impeachment trial, trying to convince senators to convict and remove him.

Paxton is also putting his support behind businessman Wayne Richard, who is looking to unseat five-term Representative Matt Shaheen, R - Plano.

Three-term Representative Candy Noble, R - Lucas, will face Paxton-supported Republican candidate Abraham George. George stepped down as chair of the Collin County Republican Party in order to get into the race.

An ally of the Collin County incumbents from neighboring Rockwall County, Rep. Justin Holland, R - Rockwall, defended his colleagues writing online according to the News, "Not a single challenger to any of the Collin delegation will be successful."

House Speaker Dade Phelan, R - Beaumont is expected to spend resources to defend incumbent Republicans. Other groups like the Associated Republicans of Texas and Texans for Lawsuit Reform historically have spent millions defending GOP incumbents in competitive primaries.

"While his opponents embark on their political revenge tour, Dade Phelan remains focused on the far more important issues at hand, like cleaning up after the Biden administration's disastrous border policies in the upcoming special session and growing the House Republican majority in 2024," Phelan spokeswoman Cait Wittman told the News.

Speaker Phelan himself told NBC 5 in an interview many of the candidates supported by Paxton and a prominent group Defend Texas Liberty back candidates who are "unelectable at the ballot box."

Defend Texas Liberty has recently been embroiled in scandal after its president met with well-known white supremacist Nick Fuentes, according to the Texas Tribune.

Over in Parker County, Mike Olcott is aiming to oust Representative Glenn Rogers, R - Graford. Nearby, Andy Hopper is challenging incumbent Representative Lynn Stucky, R - Denton. Both the challengers have Paxton's endorsement according to a press release last week.

Paxton also endorsed the challengers to House Speaker Dade Phelan, R - Beaumont, and the chair of the House impeachment managers, Rep. Andrew Murr, R - Junction.

Lawmakers are currently in Austin responding to a special session call by Governor Greg Abbott on border security, immigration, education savings accounts, and vaccine mandates.

The election is on March 5, 2024.