According to the most recent campaign finance reports filed with the Texas Ethics Commission, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has raised $5.9 million and spent $6 million between Jan. 1, 2021 and May 14, 2022. Paxton is currently ranked seventh in state-level donations in the 2022 election cycle.
Paxton is a member of the Republican Party and assumed office in 2015. In Texas, the attorney general is an elected position. The primary job of a state attorney general is to serve as chief legal adviser to the agencies and legislative organs that make up his or her state’s government, in addition to the citizens residing within the state. Paxton is running for re-election in 2022.
Paxton’s reported campaign finance activity, by quarter (2015-2022)
Source: Transparency USA
Contributions to Paxton
Of the $5.9 million already reported in the 2022 election cycle, 30.1 percent came from the top 10 donors.
Top Donors to Paxton (1/1/2021 – 5/14/2022)
| Rank | Total Amount | Donor Name | Donor Type |
| 1. | $500,000.00 | Republican Attorneys General Association | ENTITY |
| 2. | $250,000.00 | Douglas Scharbauer | INDIVIDUAL |
| 3. | $200,000.00 | Kenny A and Lisa Troutt | INDIVIDUAL |
| 4. | $150,000.00 | Holly Frost | INDIVIDUAL |
| 5. | $125,000.00 | Donald Wasek | INDIVIDUAL |
| 6. | $125,000.00 | S Javaid Anwar | INDIVIDUAL |
| 7. | $120,000.00 | Michael & Mary Porter | INDIVIDUAL |
| 8. | $100,000.00 | Amanda Schumacher | INDIVIDUAL |
| 9. | $100,000.00 | Dan & Staci Wilks | INDIVIDUAL |
| 10. | $100,000.00 | Darwin A Deason | INDIVIDUAL |
Expenditures by Paxton
Paxton reported $6 million in expenditures, with 96.2 percent going to the 10 payees topping this list. “Payees” are entities or individuals listed as the recipients of campaign expenditures, and may include vendors, campaign accounts, and transfers.
Top Expenditures by Paxton (1/1/2021 – 5/14/2022)
| Rank | Total Amount | Payee Name | Payee Type |
| 1. | $3,168,521.55 | Anthem Media Inc | ENTITY |
| 2. | $1,374,415.32 | Grassroots for You LLC | ENTITY |
| 3. | $437,880.02 | Fundraising Solutions Inc | ENTITY |
| 4. | $357,776.45 | Weisbart Springer Hayes LLP | ENTITY |
| 5. | $163,062.00 | Baselice & Associates Inc | ENTITY |
| 6. | $119,645.53 | Axiom Strategies LLC | ENTITY |
| 7. | $65,000.00 | Headwaters Media | ENTITY |
| 8. | $49,523.56 | Mar-a-Lago Club | ENTITY |
| 9. | $30,000.00 | Raconteur Media Company | ENTITY |
| 10. | $25,000.00 | Independent Conservative Republicans of Texas | ENTITY |
How donations to Paxton compare to the same office in other states
Contributions vary widely among officeholders in the same role. A number of factors, including whether the position is appointed or elected, can influence donor activity. Here is how Paxton’s donations compare to the 10 other attorney generals with campaign finance data available from Transparency USA in 2022:
Across the U.S., 27 attorney generals are members of the Republican Party and 23 are members of the Democratic Party. Voters elect the attorney general in 43 states, while they are chosen by a state government organ in the other seven. In 2022, 30 states are holding elections for the position.
The data above are based on campaign finance reports that active Texas PACs submitted to the Texas Ethics Commission. Transparency USA publishes campaign finance data following major reporting deadlines. State or federal law may require filers to submit additional reports.
| Report Name | Report Due Date |
| 2022 Jan Semiannual | 1/18/2022 |
| 2022 Pre-Primary (30 Days) | 1/31/2022 |
| 2022 Pre-Primary (8 Days) | 2/22/2022 |
| 2022 Primary Runoff | 5/16/2022 |
| 2022 Jul Semiannual | 7/15/2022 |
| 2022 Pre-General (30 Days) | 10/11/2022 |
| 2022 Pre-General (8 Days) | 10/31/2022 |
| 2022 Semiannual Data | 1/17/2023 |
This article is a joint publication from Ballotpedia and Transparency USA, who are working together to provide campaign finance information for state-level elections. Learn more about our work here.