Divorce, adultery allegations against Republican Ken Paxton jolt Senate race in Texas

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Firebrand Texas Republican Ken Paxton’s long record of political resilience in the face of scandal faces a new test after his wife filed for divorce and accused him of adultery, jolting a contentious primary for the U.S. Senate.

The race, seen as one of the biggest GOP primaries of the midterms, was already dramatic, with a longtime incumbent, John Cornyn, fighting for his political life against Paxton, the state attorney general styling himself as more loyal to President Donald Trump. Now, Cornyn and his allies are bringing up the divorce filing as he runs against Paxton, and some Paxton backers are rethinking their support.

Angela Paxton, a Republican state senator, recently accused Ken Paxton of adultery in a court filing and said she filed paperwork to end their 38-year marriage “on biblical grounds” after “recent discoveries.” Her comments caught some Paxton supporters off guard, prompting at least one group to drop its endorsement.

“There’s no question that adultery is an attack on marriage,” Texas Values president Jonathan Saenz said in a recent interview with The Washington Post. Days later, the group withdrew its support for Ken Paxton, saying it was “unsatisfied with the response” it received from his campaign when seeking more clarity.

In his only public comments on the matter, Paxton said he and his wife had agreed to “start a new chapter.” His campaign predicted that he would continue to persevere politically. “Ken Paxton has faced more scrutiny and public attacks than any politician in Texas history,” Paxton adviser Nick Maddux said in a statement. “The people of Texas will continue to have his back because they know he’s a champion for our values, and there’s nothing that’s going to change that.”

The divorce filing, which revived allegations of infidelity against Paxton, added a new potential obstacle to a political career that has survived securities fraud charges, as well as an impeachment trial in the state Senate related to a federal investigation of whistleblower allegations of misconduct that included bribery and abuse of office. Paxton was acquitted in the impeachment trial, made a deal with prosecutors last year to avoid a felony securities fraud trial and has remained a mainstay in Texas politics. While some Republicans predicted he would prevail again, others were less certain.

Trump – whom both Cornyn and Paxton are trying to link themselves to in the primary campaign – has been publicly neutral in the race and has not commented on Paxton’s personal life.

Cornyn’s campaign had already been attacking Paxton over an allegation by Texas House impeachment managers during his 2023 impeachment trial that he used a fake Uber alias – “Dave P.” – to carry out an extramarital affair years ago. Paxton’s attorneys responded to the allegations at the time by claiming the case was politically motivated and lacked evidence.

Cornyn said in an interview with The Washington Post that he did not plan to make a major issue out of the divorce filing, but at the same time, he suggested it was relevant for those who believe that “character matters,” an early refrain he has used against Paxton.

“I think the fact that his wife has finally decided to file for divorce is going to tell a lot of people that there was more fire there where there was smoke,” Cornyn said.

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‘That base is not leaving him’

Paxton has won a streak of competitive statewide elections, repeatedly countering accusations of misconduct with unflinching support for Trump and, like Trump, denouncing his challenges as political witch hunts.

He had his second-best fundraising day when his wife filed for divorce, according to a person close to him, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the fundraising numbers are not public yet.

“Ken Paxton has a base, and that base is not leaving him,” said Rep. Troy E. Nehls (R-Texas), an early Paxton supporter and Trump loyalist. “If a divorce proceeding and a not-so-friendly divorce … disqualifies a person to be a member of Congress, I don’t think we could establish a quorum up here.”

Cornyn suggested that Paxton was not impervious to scandal, calling him an “onion” because “every time you peel back one layer of corruption, there’s something beneath.” Plus, Cornyn argued, he is more prepared and better funded than any of Paxton’s past opponents.

After an initial silence on the divorce, Cornyn’s campaign has been bringing it up, releasing a digital ad Thursday about “Dave P.” that raised the divorce filing and alleged that Paxton was “at it again” after “embarrassing his family once.”

The incumbent has been trailing Paxton in polling for months, raising anxiety among national Republicans that they could be left with a nominee in Paxton who would make the race more competitive for Democrats.

Texas Reps. Wesley Hunt and Ronny Jackson are considered by some Republicans to be potential candidates to join the primary contest. Hunt often touts his family on social media – he is married with three young children – and did so again the morning after the news that Angela Paxton filed for divorce.

Hunt has made the case to the White House that he solves a “Texas-sized political problem,” arguing that he can win both the primary and the general election, according to a person close to him, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations. Though he has not filed to run, his campaign and allied groups have poured more than $2 million into ads this year aiming to boost his profile, some running in D.C. and Florida, where Trump resides.

Hunt recently flew with Trump on Air Force One to Texas to tour flood damage in the Hill Country, an area far from Hunt’s Houston-based district. The only other Texas lawmakers on the flight were Cornyn and Sen. Ted Cruz (R). (Paxton joined Trump on the ground once they arrived.)

The president has been careful in his public comments about the race, maintaining that he likes both Cornyn and Paxton. “In a way, I wish they weren’t running against each other,” Trump told reporters in late April. “I’ll make a decision somewhere along the line.”

While Cornyn has been a reliable vote for Trump’s agenda, Paxton and his allies have zeroed in on a few episodes when the senator was squarely at odds with Trump. Most notably, Cornyn initially resisted Trump’s 2024 campaign, saying in May 2023 that his “time has passed him by.” Cornyn ultimately endorsed Trump.

Paxton’s side has also seized on Cornyn’s lead role in crafting the bipartisan gun-control law that Congress passed after the 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. The proposal earned him boos at the Texas GOP convention that year, and Trump branded Cornyn a “RINO” while opposing the deal.

There is widespread GOP acknowledgment that Cornyn is on the clock to improve his standing in the primary contest before the December candidate filing deadline, and some Cornyn allies see Angela Paxton’s comments as a potential trajectory-changer.

Cornyn said that Trump “may feel more comfortable” endorsing him if he can close the polling gap but that it may take longer than the filing deadline to do so.

To prevail over Paxton, Cornyn said in the interview, will require two things: “Remind people who I am and … remind people who my opponent is.”

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‘I felt for her’

Angela Paxton announced the divorce filing – which accuses Ken Paxton of adultery, according to a petition reviewed by The Washington Post – in a social media post July 10. A judge ordered further case records to be sealed a day after she filed her petition, granting her request. Angela Paxton declined an interview request. Ken Paxton filed a brief response with the court generally denying the claims in the petition.

Ken Paxton’s personal life has long been a source of intrigue in his North Texas political base. The Paxtons, who have frequently referenced their Christian faith, have been political fixtures in Collin County, an affluent suburb north of Dallas that has been a GOP stronghold. The judge originally assigned to the divorce case, Jill Renfro Willis, recused herself without giving a reason, but her husband is Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis, a longtime friend of Ken Paxton.

“I know Angela Paxton well enough to know she is a woman of principle and character, and I would imagine there was a lot of thought that went into her public statement,” said George Fuller, a Republican former mayor of McKinney. “I felt for her.”

Zach Barrett, a conservative GOP political analyst from McKinney, said other local Republicans told him they would not vote for Ken Paxton because of the alleged infidelity, including Barrett’s mother, who said, “I’ve lost all respect.”

Barrett said that he knows the Paxtons but also likes Hunt, and that he wasn’t sure how he would vote.

“I do believe her. But do I continue to support Ken for his Senate race? If it’s down to between him and John Cornyn, I will vote for Ken Paxton,” he said, because “what he does behind closed doors doesn’t affect me one bit.”

Some Paxton supporters are hoping for more clarity. Saenz said in the interview, before the group withdrew its endorsement, that Republican voters may look at the divorce differently because Paxton’s wife previously stood by him and many thought they had resolved – or were resolving – their issues.

“The reality is Paxton has never faced anything like he will over the next seven months, and this latest saga represents a tectonic shift in the race,” Aaron Whitehead, executive director of the pro-Cornyn Texans for a Conservative Majority, said in a statement.

The super PAC recently started running TV ads statewide pitching Cornyn as “the man who votes with President Trump over 99 percent of the time.” One Nation, a nonprofit closely aligned with Senate GOP leadership, plans to start spending in the race as soon as this week.

Mark Phariss, a Democratic lawyer who ran against Angela Paxton for the state Senate in 2018, said he doesn’t think the divorce details will do lasting damage to Ken Paxton’s bid because of how politics has changed in recent years, as Trump and others have withstood numerous accusations about their personal conduct.

“In a normal time and a normal party, it would have an enormous impact. It would be a career-ender,” Phariss said.