Our State Senator, Kolkhorst, Sides With Paxton in First Impeachment Votes

State Senator Lois Kolkhorst of Brenham was among the six Republicans who gave a nod of support to Attorney General Ken Paxton at the start of his impeachment trial last week.

Kolkhorst represents District 18 in the Senate, which includes Fayette County. She joined Paul Bettencourt of Houston, Donna Campbell of New Braunfels, Brandon Creighton of Conroe, Bob Hall of Edgewood and Tan Parker of Flower Mound in supporting each of Paxton’s motions to dismiss charges at the beginning of the trial last Tuesday. All of those motions failed, however. Five other Republicans voted in favor of at least one motion to dismiss. The remaining seven Republicans in the senate voted with all 12 Democrats to reject the motions to dismiss and the trial moved forward.

Much of the trial so far has centered around Paxton’s relationship with political donor Nate Paul. Paxton stands accused of using his position as Attorney General to benefit Paul. Paxton’s lead defense attorney Tony Buzbee has argued instead that rouge subordinates in the Attorney General’s office tried staging a coup to oust Paxton.

Thirty of the 31 state senators are serving as jurors in the trial. The lone exception is Angela Paxton, the Attorney General’s wife, who is sitting in on the trial, but she has been ruled ineligible to participate in deliberations.