Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton joins Anthony Holm for Episode 20 of Politics with the Big Dogs — a full, on-the-record conversation that covers the power of the AG’s office, the fights Texas has picked with Washington and the policy battles reshaping the state.
Paxton walks through what he calls key highlights of his tenure, including efforts targeting human trafficking, major litigation involving Big Tech and opioids and what he describes as a constitutional strategy of suing presidential administrations to defend state authority. He also discusses a recent Houston operation he says resulted in roughly 50 people being detained and turned over to ICE under a 287(g) agreement, arguing deportation is the biggest deterrent to illegal immigration.
The episode also gets into the political power struggle inside Texas: the role of district attorneys, courts and high-dollar influence groups, plus Paxton’s case against Sen. John Cornyn in the 2026 Republican primary and what he calls the “incumbent money advantage.”
If you want a policy-first episode with real specifics, this is it.
Texas primary results shake the GOP as Cornyn faces Paxton in a high-stakes Senate runoff.
Texas Republican primary voters examine TLR influence, RATLR and tort reform before March 3.
Early voting is here. Anthony rounds out his coverage of the Texas Comptroller's race.