Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been linked to a reported extramarital relationship with a married Christian influencer and author, the Daily Mail reported, a development that preceded a public divorce filing by his wife and could affect Paxton’s political standing.
Multiple sources told the Daily Mail that Paxton, 62, was secretly seeing Tracy Duhon, 57, a mother of seven and Christian author, and that the relationship began after they met at the Kentucky Derby in May 2024. Texas state Sen. Angela Paxton announced in July that she had filed for divorce after 38 years of marriage, saying in a post on X, “Today, after 38 years of marriage, I filed for divorce on biblical grounds.” Court records related to the couple’s divorce have been sealed, according to reporting.
The Daily Mail account says the relationship included multiple private meetings and trips beginning in May 2024 and continuing into the following months while both Paxton and Duhon were married. Duhon, who maintains a public profile as a faith speaker and whose website says she experienced the loss of two children at birth, filed for divorce from her then-husband weeks after the Derby, the newspaper reported.
Paxton, a prominent conservative and staunch ally of former President Donald Trump, has faced public scrutiny and legal battles in recent years. He was impeached by the Texas House in 2023 on allegations including misuse of office and accepting bribes; state legislators alleged he sought to secure employment for a woman with whom he had an affair. Paxton denied wrongdoing and was acquitted by the Texas Senate. The earlier affair, involving a woman named Laura Olson, figured prominently in the impeachment proceedings.
The reported new relationship surfaced as Paxton pursues further political ambitions. He is running in a GOP contest that pits him against U.S. Sen. John Cornyn for support among conservative voters. Before the disclosure of the latest affair, some polls showed Paxton ahead among conservative voters by as much as 16 percentage points. Reporting after Angela Paxton’s public announcement showed the two Republicans in a closer race.
Cornyn responded publicly to the news, criticizing Paxton’s conduct and using the revelations as a campaign issue. Cornyn’s campaign has run advertisements drawing attention to Paxton’s past conduct, and Cornyn posted on X linking the developments to voter concerns about character.
When reached by the Daily Mail about the reported relationship, Paxton did not directly address the allegation. According to the outlet, he instead attacked the newspaper and said he would continue to oppose what he described as the "deranged radical Left" alongside Mr. Trump. The Daily Mail reported that Paxton vowed to press his political agenda despite the reporting. Duhon did not provide comment when contacted by the newspaper, and Angela Paxton declined to comment through a spokesman.
The earlier impeachment centered on allegations that Paxton used the power of his office to benefit donors and associates, and that he sought employment for an alleged lover with a top donor. One top donor, Nate Paul, later pleaded guilty earlier this year to a reduced charge of making false statements to a financial institution as part of a broader agreement and was fined and placed on supervised release. During the impeachment process, some lawmakers said Paxton attempted to influence members of the Texas House by contacting them about the proceedings; Paxton has denied criminal wrongdoing.
Legal and political analysts said the new reporting intersects with questions voters have raised about character and the use of public office, particularly because both Paxton and Cornyn appeal to constituencies that emphasize Christian values and family. Paxton has positioned himself as a conservative culture-warrior and has allied with former President Trump on a range of issues, a strategy that helped raise his profile among Republican primary voters.
Paxton and Angela Paxton married in 1986 after meeting while students at Baylor University. Angela Paxton, a Republican state senator from McKinney, recused herself from some proceedings related to her husband’s impeachment; she attended parts of the trial in the Texas Senate but did not vote. The couple had reportedly not been living together since the summer of 2024, according to sources cited in the reporting.
The divorce filing and the sealed records mean many details will not be publicly available unless released by the parties or unsealed by a court. The reported relationship with Duhon follows a highly publicized earlier affair that became a central element of Paxton’s impeachment and raised questions among colleagues and the public.
Paxton remains in office as Texas attorney general. His campaign and office did not offer a direct comment addressing the specific allegations beyond the statement reported by the Daily Mail. Tracy Duhon stepped away from responding to reporters when contacted, according to the newspaper, and her communications have emphasized faith and counseling in her public work.
The developments add a new chapter to Paxton’s public life at a time when he is attempting to move from statewide office to a federal campaign, and they come amid ongoing political battles within the Texas Republican Party over the direction and stewardship of the conservative movement.
(Reporting used material from the Daily Mail.)