Scandal-laden MAGA Senate hopeful Ken Paxton crumbled during a town hall meeting when he was asked why he’d cheated on his wife.
The Texas attorney general, 63, who won a bruising Republican primary with Donald Trump’s backing, was kicked out of the home he shared with his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, 62, after she accused him of adultery, according to a 2025 divorce filing she based on “biblical grounds.”
Paxton, who is running against Texas state Rep. James Talarico for the Democrats, is finding it hard to escape scrutiny on his storied past, particularly the cheating allegations.
During a tele-townhall earlier this week, he fielded questions from the public. During one phone interaction, a woman was heard saying, “Nice to meet you,” before asking, “I’m just wondering—why did you cheat on your wife?”
Paxton clammed up and launched into a rambling answer. “Um, I’m not gonna talk about personal issues that relate to my family, just like I don’t think you would wanna discuss your marriage on a call with thousands of people,” he said.
“All I can tell you is that I’m proud of my kids. I’ve got four wonderful kids. I’ve got seven grandchildren—well, six and one on the way. There’s a lot at stake, and so while I care about this country, I’m not gonna talk about things that would affect them, so thank you very much for your question.”
Paxton’s personal life has been a source of public debate lately. On Saturday, hecklers hijacked his event in Houston, shouting “You cheated on your wife!” at the attorney general.
He was questioning Talarico’s Christian beliefs as he was heckled. Two others were ejected from the event for shouting “Paxton protects pedophiles,” according to TownHall editor Joe Chalfant. This seemingly refers to Paxton offering a lenient plea deal to a man charged with repeatedly sexually abusing a young boy. Under the bargain negotiated by state prosecutors, the Waco man was allowed to plead guilty to two misdemeanors and serve a sentence of just one day in jail.
Paxton has been dogged by controversy. He was impeached by the state legislature in 2023 over damning allegations of bribery and abuse of public trust. Former aides blew the whistle on Paxton, accusing him of leveraging his powerful position to enrich both himself and a prominent Texas real estate developer.
Though Texas lawmakers ultimately acquitted Paxton of the charges, explosive revelations from the trial—including accusations of the extramarital affair—have stubbornly shadowed his campaign. Divorce proceedings have further exposed his staggering wealth, shedding light on an expansive $9 million property portfolio.
Trump endorsed him anyway, hailing him as “someone who has always been extremely loyal to me and our AMAZING MAGA MOVEMENT.”
Meanwhile, the candidate spent the Fourth of July weekend gallivanting around Europe with his mistress, Christian influencer Tracy Duhon, 58—sightseeing near the London Eye while Americans marked 250 years of independence from Britain.
His Democratic Senate opponent used it for his own political ends. “Americans celebrated 250 years of independence from Britain this weekend,” Talarico’s campaign wrote. “Ken Paxton spent it with the British.”
Paxton’s campaign did not answer the news organizations’ questions. Spokesperson Madison Cercy instead called the report a “baseless, lie-filled tabloid story” and insisted the AG has “a long record of defending Texas elections.”
After seeing off incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in a landslide May primary, Paxton may have met his match in Talarico. The RealClearPolitics polling average currently puts Talarico slightly ahead of the embattled attorney general. A recent Texas Southern University survey gave the Democratic lawmaker a narrow edge of 47 percent to 45 percent, while other public polling shows the pair deadlocked or Paxton clinging to a marginal lead.
Paxton’s main office and campaign office have been contacted for comment.
