The impeachment trial of Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) began Tuesday in the Texas Senate, with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) presiding over votes on various motions submitted by the defense team in an effort to dismiss the case.   

Paxton was impeached by a bipartisan majority of the Texas House, 121-23, on May 27. The House then named impeachment managers and sent the case to the Senate for trial.  

A supermajority of the Senate, including a majority of the members from both parties, voted to deny each of Paxton’s motions to dismiss. After Paxton entered a plea on each article of impeachment, and both sides delivered opening statements, the House impeachment managers began presenting evidence late in the afternoon.     

The trial is expected to last for much of September. If convicted by the Senate, Paxton stands to be permanently removed from office. It will take votes from 20 of the 30 senators acting as jurors to convict. Sen. Angela Paxton (R–McKinney), the attorney general’s wife, is sitting through the trial but is not allowed to cast a vote.