Ken Paxton’s Divorce Adds a New Wrinkle in an Already Ugly Senate Primary

Texas state Sen. Angela Paxton announced she is filing for divorce from her husband, the state’s Attorney General and current U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton, after almost 40 years of marriage.

The shock announcement adds a new wrinkle to what has already become a fiery Republican 2026 primary battle between Ken Paxton and the incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.

In a public statement announcing the news on Thursday, Angela Paxton cited “biblical grounds” as the reason for the pair’s separation.

“Today, after 38 years of marriage, I filed for divorce on biblical grounds,” she posted on X. “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.”

In her petition, Angela Paxton accused her husband of adultery and said that the couple has been living separately since June of last year, according to a copy obtained by KUT News, the Austin public radio station.

“The marriage has become insupportable because of discord or conflict of personalities between Petitioner and Respondent that destroys the legitimate ends of the marriage relationship and prevents any reasonable expectation of reconciliation,” the petition reads.

Neither Angela Paxton’s attorney nor Ken Paxton’s campaign responded to a request for comment from NOTUS.

Ken Paxton acknowledged the divorce Thursday and blamed it on “the pressures of countless political attacks and public scrutiny” after a high-profile impeachment trial in 2023.

“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 wrote on X. “I ask for your prayers and privacy at this time.”

Despite his plea for privacy, just hours after news of the divorce became public, the issue had already inserted itself into the Texas Senate race.

“What Ken Paxton has put his family through is truly repulsive and disgusting,” Joanna Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee, wrote in a post on X that was quickly retweeted by the committee itself.

“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,” Rodriguez continued.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, right, is hugged by his wife Angela Paxton just before his impeachment trial began. Eric Gay/AP

Sen. John Cornyn on Thursday declined to comment on how the divorce may impact the campaign — but he has been unafraid to speak up in recent weeks about how he feels his opponent is unfit for higher office.

“I refuse to let someone of his character—or lack of character—represent Texas in the Senate,” Cornyn told The Wall Street Journal last month. “I consider this to be drawing a line in the sand.”

President Donald Trump hasn’t endorsed a candidate in the race, openly speaking about his friendship with both men.

“They’re both friends of mine,” Trump said earlier this year. “I’ll make a determination at the right time.”

Paxton, who made a name for himself in recent years as an aggressive critic unafraid to repeatedly sue the Biden administration, first came under scrutiny while on the campaign trail in 2014 when he was fined for soliciting investment clients without being registered with the state securities board. He won his election for AG that fall.

After less than seven months on the job as attorney general, Paxton was indicted on two counts of first-degree securities fraud and a third-degree charge of not registering with the state securities board. According to CBS, the most serious allegation claimed he encouraged investment in Servergy Inc., a tech startup that later became the target of an SEC investigation.

Paxton’s road to a 2023 impeachment trial began three years earlier when he was accused by eight whistleblowers of abusing his office to benefit an Austin real estate developer, Nate Paul, who donated to his campaign.

As the FBI investigated the case, Paxton fired several deputies who spoke up against him, which prompted four to file a whistleblower lawsuit against him. They alleged Paxton violated federal bribery laws.

Paxton called them “rogue employees,” but later settled the lawsuit for $3.3 million in taxpayer funds.

Angela Paxton, a state senator at the time, was ruled to have a conflict of interest, and while she was required to attend the impeachment trial, she was unable to be an active juror or vote on her husband’s case.

His alleged infidelity with a woman named Laura Olson also became a major storyline in the proceedings after it was alleged that Paul bribed Paxton by securing a job for Olson at his company.

Democrats at the time said that the affair was an important insight into his character — and the apparent mismatch between his public persona and private life.

“The affair is important because it goes to Ken Paxton’s political strength,” state Rep. Ann Johnson, a Democrat from Houston who was part of the committee that investigated Paxton, said during the impeachment proceedings. “He knows that with his folks, he is ‘family values.’ He is a Christian man. And the idea of the exposure of the affair will risk him with his base.”