Ken Paxton's Estranged Wife Urges Support for Republican Ticket in Texas Senate Race

Angela Paxton, the estranged wife of Texas Attorney General and Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton, has publicly urged Texans to vote Republican in the upcoming midterm elections, notably refraining from mentioning her husband by name. Her intervention comes as Ken Paxton faces a closely contested race against Democratic challenger James Talarico.

In a mid-September speech to a group of Republican women, Angela Paxton called for support for the party's candidates, stating that "Republican women will decide this election." She emphasized the importance of maintaining party control over seats, even when there are reservations about individual candidates. "It’s not the people—it’s the seat," she explained. "Because we have more control over that seat and the future when we control the seat, when it’s still in the family, even if we’re mad at it."

Her message was echoed in a new ad, where she addresses "the elephant in the room." "In a general election, it’s not as much about the individual players on the team—it’s about getting the whole team across the finish line," she stated in the ad, which was funded by Texas PAC. "Either we hold every Republican seat or we hand the future of Texas to the other team. That’s why I’m voting for the Republican ticket on Nov. 3. Let’s hold the line together."

Angela Paxton, a Republican herself, has served in the Texas state Senate since 2019. She and Ken Paxton have been married for nearly four decades, but she filed for divorce last year, alleging adultery and stating that they had ceased living together as spouses by June 2024. Divorce proceedings are reportedly still ongoing.

Political experts suggest that Angela Paxton's involvement indicates concern within the Republican Party about Ken Paxton's prospects in the Senate race. "The fact that the need was felt to reach out to [Texas state senator Angela Paxton] to obliquely vouch for her now estranged husband is pretty remarkable, and an indication of the extent of concern that Republicans are feeling in this race," said Joshua Blank, research director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin.

Recent polls have shown Talarico holding a slight lead over Ken Paxton, a development that could signal a historic shift if a Democrat were to win a statewide election in Texas for the first time in over three decades. Ken Paxton's campaign has been marked by several controversies, including allegations of infidelity, a fraud indictment, and an impeachment trial on charges of bribery and abuse of office, all of which he has denied.

Kirby Goidel, a political science professor at Texas A&M University, noted that while Texas is generally more Republican than other states, Ken Paxton faces a challenging environment partly due to "the baggage that he brings to the campaign." He suggested that the ad featuring Angela Paxton is an attempt to secure unified Republican support, framing the election as a "team game."

Blank further commented that the ad appears designed to give Republican women, particularly those with reservations about supporting Ken Paxton, "permission to do so." Polling data has indicated a gender gap in voting intentions for the race, with men more likely than women to support Paxton. Blank pointed out that Republican women could be a "soft spot" in the party's coalition, and the ad suggests this may indeed be the case.