This article has been updated.
Bexar County state Rep. Mark Dorazio was one of just 23 members of the Texas House of Representatives to vote against impeaching Attorney General Ken Paxton on Saturday.
The 121-23 vote to adopt 20 articles of impeachment against Paxton means he is immediately suspended from office and faces a trial in the Texas Senate. He is the first elected official impeached by the House since 1975.
Of Bexar County’s 10-member House delegation, Dorazio was the only one to vote “no” on impeachment. The first-term Republican represents District 122, which includes parts of far North San Antonio, Shavano Park, Helotes and parts of unincorporated Northwest Bexar County. The delegation’s other two Republicans, Steve Allison and John Lujan, voted to impeach.
Democratic Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, who is chair of the House Democratic Caucus, said the House had sufficient evidence to support impeachment.
“This vote is not about a political party. It is not about Ken Paxton. It is not about any one of us,” Martinez Fischer stated. “This vote is about the people of Texas and ensuring their elected officials are held accountable when they violate the people’s trust. Without that trust, without that confidence that elected officials serve the people alone, our government ceases to function.
“The essence of our democratic system lies in the belief that elected officials exist solely to serve the interests of the people. When that trust is violated, the very foundation of our government is undermined. It is our duty as representatives of the people to restore and protect that trust, for without it, our government cannot fulfill its vital role. The people of Texas deserve nothing less.”
How they voted
| Name | District | Party | Vote |
| Trey Martinez Fischer | 116 | Democrat | Yes |
| Philip Cortez | 117 | Democrat | Yes |
| John Lujan | 118 | Republican | Yes |
| Liz Campos | 119 | Democrat | Yes |
| Barbara Gervin-Hawkins | 120 | Democrat | Yes |
| Steve Allison | 121 | Republican | Yes |
| Mark Dorazio | 122 | Republican | No |
| Diego Bernal | 123 | Democrat | Yes |
| Josey Garcia | 124 | Democrat | Yes |
| Ray Lopez | 125 | Democrat | Yes |
Earlier this month Dorazio voted to expel fellow Republican Rep. Bryan Slaton, after the House General Investigating Committee determined Slaton had engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with an intern. Dorazio said in a statement that he cast his “no” vote on Paxton’s impeachment because he felt the investigation lacked due process and lawmakers weren’t given enough time to review the committee’s findings.
“The allegations brought to the House were significant and it saddens me that any of those charges may be true, but these allegations deserved time to digest, scrutinize, and debate — all hallmarks of the Texas House,” Dorazio stated.
