Texas Republicans split over Paxton’s removal ahead of impeachment trial

A University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll released Friday found registered Texas Republican voters were split on whether Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) should be removed from office.

The poll, taken between Aug. 18-29 of 1,200 registered voters in Texas, found 24 percent of the Republicans who were asked in the poll if “Ken Paxton took actions while Attorney General that justify removing him from elected office” said he did. Thirty-two percent said he didn’t, and 43 percent said they “didn’t know” or had “no opinion.”

The Texas House of Representatives impeached Paxton in May for alleged inappropriate favors done for donors, interference in federal investigations and retaliation against whistleblowers. Texas state House investigators unveiled new evidence against Paxton last month, including a fake Uber account he used with a real estate investor whose connections to Paxton had already been scrutinized in the earlier impeachment. 

The suspended Texas AG also faces a securities fraud trial for two felony charges he was indicted on in 2015. Discussion of Paxton’s trial date is postponed to October. Paxton’s impeachment trial date is set to begin next week. 

The poll has a margin of error of 2.83 percent, or 3.22 percent adjusted for weighting.