Paxton says he stands up for American workers. He sued to block their overtime pay, fought their sick leave and water breaks, and his office illegally fired employees who reported him.
Paxton says he stands up for American workers and will create American jobs and restore the American Dream.
Source: Attorney General press release; campaign issues page, June 11, 2024 · Office of the Texas Attorney GeneralMostly false: Parts of the claim have some basis, but the record mostly contradicts it.
On pay, safety and the right to speak up, his record sides against workers. On AI, he has proposed nothing on jobs or creators’ work while Elon Musk, whose company makes the Grok chatbot, helps fund his race.
What the record shows
Paxton presents himself as a defender of American workers, and his campaign says he will create American jobs and restore the American Dream. 01 02
On pay, he sued to block the 2024 federal rule expanding overtime to about 4 million more workers, and a judge struck it down. 03 04 He joined a brief against a Labor Department rule on when restaurants and salons can pay tipped workers less than the minimum wage, calling the rule a burden on small businesses. 07
On safety, his office defended the 2023 state law that wiped out local water-break rules for construction workers. 06 When 16 attorneys general urged OSHA to adopt a federal heat-safety standard, they cited that Texas law as the reason one was needed; Texas did not sign. 11 He sued to block a rule protecting farmworkers on H-2A visas who organize. 02 He also fought Austin’s paid-sick-leave ordinance in court. 05
On artificial intelligence, the reported proposals in his AI and data-center platform cover Chinese technology, chatbots that endanger children and power for data centers; none address jobs lost to AI or protecting creators’ work. 13 The Texas Tribune could find no public comment from him on federal proposals to block state AI laws. 12 Elon Musk, whose company makes the Grok chatbot, has put nearly $190 million into the Senate race, mostly through groups backing Paxton, and Paxton did not sign a multistate attorneys general letter demanding the company address AI-generated child sexual abuse images. 14 His federal campaign operation has taken at least $448,000 from data-center-linked donors. 15
Inside his own office, a judge ruled it illegally fired the aides who reported him to the FBI, and two of his top deputies left after sexual-harassment allegations by a staffer. 08 09 In private, he told lobbyists that cuts to “mandatory spending,” mostly Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, are coming. 10
Actions Paxton cites
- Paxton says he is protecting American workers from “foreign labor”
- Paxton’s campaign says he will create American jobs and restore the American Dream
The record behind this
- Paxton joins the fight against Austin workers’ paid sick leave
- Paxton opposes a Labor Department rule on when tipped workers can be paid below minimum wage
His office called the rule a burden on small businesses such as restaurants and nail salons.
- Paxton sues to block a rule protecting farmworkers on H-2A visas who organize
- Paxton’s lawsuit blocks expanded overtime pay for about 4 million workers
- Attorneys general from 16 states cite Texas’ heat-rule ban in urging a federal standard; Texas doesn’t sign
- Judge rules Paxton’s office illegally fired the employees who reported him to the FBI
Taxpayers are paying the $6.6 million judgment.
- Two of Paxton’s top deputies left after a staffer’s sexual-harassment allegations
An internal email said one admitted the allegations; both were allowed to resign.
- Paxton’s office defends the law that wiped out local water-break rules for construction workers
- No public position from Paxton on federal moves to block state AI laws
The Texas Tribune could not find public comments from him on proposed AI preemption.
- Paxton’s AI and data-center platform has no proposals on AI and jobs or creators’ work
Its reported planks cover Chinese technology, chatbot child safety, off-grid power and tax breaks.
- In private, Paxton tells lobbyists cuts to “mandatory spending” are coming
About three-quarters of mandatory federal spending goes to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
- Musk pours nearly $190 million into the race; Paxton skipped an attorneys general letter on his company’s AI
The letter demanded Musk’s company address AI-generated child sexual abuse material.
The votes behind this
- Voted against the Texas equal-pay billHB 950: State equal-pay bill (filing deadline for pay-discrimination claims). Passed Senate 16–15; vetoed by Gov. Rick Perry.
Paxton’s response
Paxton says the overtime and farmworker rules exceeded the Labor Department’s authority, and that he has never said he would take away benefits from those who earned them. 02 03 10
Sources
- 01The Fight at Hand (campaign issues page)Ken Paxton for Senate · Oct. 18, 2026
- 02Attorney General Ken Paxton Sues Biden Department of Labor to Prevent Attempt to Grant Foreign Laborers More Rights than American WorkersOffice of the Texas Attorney General · June 11, 2024
- 03Attorney General Ken Paxton stops attempt to revive regulation rewriting federal overtime lawOffice of the Texas Attorney General · Nov. 18, 2024
- 04Federal court strikes down the U.S. Department of Labor’s overtime ruleMintz (legal analysis) · Nov. 18, 2024
- 05AG Paxton intervenes in lawsuit challenging Austin’s sick leave ordinanceOffice of the Texas Attorney General · April 30, 2018
- 06Appeals court upholds Texas law limiting cities’ enforcement of local ordinancesThe Texas Tribune · July 18, 2025
- 07Attorney General Ken Paxton Joins Amicus Brief Opposing Department of Labor Rule that Harms Small BusinessesOffice of the Texas Attorney General · Nov. 3, 2023
- 08Attorney General Ken Paxton’s former aides win $6.6 million in whistleblower caseThe Texas Tribune · April 4, 2025
- 09Top deputies to Attorney General Ken Paxton pushed out over sexual harassment allegations, lawsuit saysThe Texas Tribune · May 28, 2025
- 10“We have to suck it up”: Ken Paxton privately suggests cutting federal benefit programs to reduce national deficitThe Texas Tribune · Oct. 8, 2026
- 11Comments of the Attorneys General of New York et al. on OSHA’s proposed heat injury and illness prevention ruleState attorneys general (via State Impact Center) · Jan. 14, 2025
- 12On the issues: A Q&A with Ken Paxton and John CornynThe Texas Tribune (via News From The States) · April 20, 2026
- 13Ken Paxton releases data center platformThe Texas Tribune · Aug. 24, 2026
- 14Elon Musk is the donor behind Senate Republicans’ massive rescue mission for Ken PaxtonThe Texas Tribune · Oct. 15, 2026
- 15Ken Paxton rakes in data center donations as Texans turn against industryNOTUS · Aug. 11, 2026