The question in Texas’ attorney general race: Why is everybody afraid of Ken Paxton?

Even in a state where the standard for elected officials is lower than a rattlesnake’s belly, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton would seem unlikely to lead a poll:

▪ He is out on felony criminal bond.

▪ He is facing a two-year FBI criminal bribery investigation.

▪ Three of his own former deputies sued him.

▪ Last election, he had so much spare time that staffers said he disclosed an extramarital affair.

In Texas, where outlaws are a celebrated part of lore, this is all considered so absolutely awful and terrible that Paxton is now leading his race for a third term by only 5 points.

If you want to know why Texas Democrats are frustrated, look no further than the attorney general race.

Brownsville lawyer Rochelle Garza would seem to have the best chance of any statewide Democratic candidate to win. Paxton, a McKinney Republican elected in part for his fierce support of banning abortion, is now a damaged link on the party ticket.

But Garza’s campaign remains neglected and lightly funded.

“Is he going to get away with it again?” asked Joe Jaworski, the Galveston Democrat who many expected to be his party’s AG candidate. Instead, Garza rode progressive support to the nomination in the primary runoff.

Jaworski supports Garza and has spoken at events for Democratic gubernatorial nominee Beto O’Rourke.

But in an interview Friday, he said he’s “concerned and frustrated” at the narrowness of a Democratic campaign focused strongly on abortion, and also at the lack of response and support for the ticket.

For example, three prominent Republicans have endorsed Houston Democrat Mike Collier over Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick.

Down the ballot, Republican runoff loser Sarah Stogner actually endorsed Democrat Luke Warford over her own party’s incumbent, Wayne Christian, to lead energy regulators on the Texas Railroad Commission.

But even though 57% of Republicans in the March primary voted against Paxton, who won a runoff, no prominent Republican has endorsed Garza.

“What a great opportunity for the Texas Bar and people who are respected officials — people who stand up for the rule of law, clearly Republicans — to stand up and say, ‘This is wrong,’ “ Jaworski said.

Paxton was elected to lead Texas’ legal fight against abortion. He cemented that support by stubbornly backing President Donald Trump’s 2020 election claims.

Garza, the only woman alongside O’Rourke and Collier atop the Democratic ticket, has focused on abortion rights.

But as few as 22% of Texans in several recent polls said that’s their No. 1 issue.

“Democrats have accented abortion as an umbrella issue,” Jaworski said. “I would make it less about only abortion. I would talk about that as part of a menu of complaints” about voting rights, individual rights and also about insurance regulation, he said.

Paxton won the GOP runoff, Jaworski said, because he is “a very adept politician.”

“He is stronger now” because he built his name ID overcoming primary opponents Land Commissioner George P. Bush, U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert and Justice Eva Guzman, Jaworski said.

Now, Paxton is leading because of voter disinterest beneath the governor’s race, Jaworski said. “He’s taking advantage of our distraction.”

“The outrage is, he’s leading in the polls, and I’m not even seeing him spend any money,” Jaworski said.

Call him Lucky Ken Paxton.