CNN
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The wife of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Thursday she is filing for divorce “on biblical grounds,” ending their 38-year marriage as he seeks to unseat Sen. John Cornyn in next year’s Republican Senate primary.
Angela Paxton, a state senator, wrote in a social media post that her decision followed “recent discoveries” – though she did not elaborate. In her divorce filing, obtained by CNN, she alleged that the attorney general had committed adultery and said they stopped living together around June 1, 2024.
“I believe marriage is a sacred covenant and I have earnestly pursued reconciliation. But in light of recent discoveries, I do not believe that it honors God or is loving to myself, my children, or Ken to remain in the marriage,” she wrote in a post on X.
Ken Paxton pointed to “countless political attacks and public scrutiny” in his own X post, saying the two “have decided to start a new chapter in our lives.”
“I could not be any more proud or grateful for the incredible family that God has blessed us with, and I remain committed to supporting our amazing children and grandchildren,” he said. “I ask for your prayers and privacy at this time.”
Their announcement throws a wrench into Paxton’s efforts to oust Cornyn in one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate primaries – one with potentially huge stakes, as Democrats look for more races in which their candidates can be competitive and see Paxton as an easier target.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee, the Senate GOP’s campaign arm, sharply criticized Paxton in a statement that offered a window into how bitter the primary race could become.
“What Ken Paxton has put his family through is truly repulsive and disgusting. No one should have to endure what Angela Paxton has, and we pray for her as she chooses to stand up for herself and her family during this difficult time,” NRSC Communications Director Joanna Rodriguez said.
Paxton is a strident conservative and ally of President Donald Trump who earned a national reputation by frequently suing to try to block the actions of former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden in federal court.
He’s also faced a series of scandals since taking office as attorney general in 2015. When Paxton requested $3.3 million in taxpayer money to settle a whistleblower lawsuit with former staffers who accused him of accepting bribes from a real estate developer and abusing his office, the Texas House responded by impeaching him in 2023.
Angela Paxton was present for the Senate’s impeachment trial, in which Paxton was also accused of having an extramarital affair with a woman who was hired by the real estate developer, but she was not allowed to vote. He was acquitted by the more conservative Senate, where an ally, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, presided over the trial.
Cornyn was muted when asked by CNN on Capitol Hill about the Paxtons’ announcement.
“Seems like a private matter,” he said.
But Cornyn’s campaign on X shared a local news report citing Angela Paxton’s divorce filing, as well as the NRSC’s statement lambasting the attorney general.
