Ken Paxton divorce row: Will Texas AG's falling marriage hurt chances vs John Cornyn, Jasmine Crockett? Latest polls

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s divorce from State Senator Angela Paxton, filed this week on ‘biblical grounds’ and ‘recent discoveries’,

Updated on: Jul 11, 2025, 24:49:34 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s divorce from State Senator Angela Paxton, filed this week on ‘biblical grounds’ and ‘recent discoveries’, has brought up doubts about his 2026 Senate campaign against John Cornyn. The divorce, announced amid a heated Republican primary, might put Paxton on the backseat against Cornyn and potential Democratic contenders like Jasmine Crockett.

Ken Paxton's wife filed for a divorce this week (AP)

“Today, after 38 years of marriage, I filed for divorce on biblical grounds,” Angela Paxton said on X, platform formerly knowna as Twitter. “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.”

“I move forward with complete confidence that God is always working everything together for the good of those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose,” she added.

Will the divorce announcement hurt Ken Paxton's Senate chances?

A poll released in May showed Paxton with a commanding lead over incumbent Sen John Cornyn in either a two-person race or a three-person race in next year’s Republican primary. However, his lead in the poll shrunk dramatically against potential Democratic rivals.

The poll from Texas Southern University's Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center showed the Texas AG leading his primary opponent by 9 percentage points.

“Right now, if it's a head-to-head race between Paxton and Cornyn, Paxton is a very strong favorite, and it's tough to see how, absent, say, a Trump endorsement of Cornyn, Cornyn could effectively flip the table on Paxton,” Mark Jones, political science fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute and co-author of the survey with TSU's Michael O Adams, said.

A Senate Leadership Fund (SLF) poll (April 27–May 1, 2025) had Paxton ahead 56% to 40%, or 44% to 34% with Hunt at 19%.

A Houston Chronicle poll (mid-April 2025) showed Paxton leading by 17 points (50% to 33%), with a Democratic poll showing a 20-point lead.

Jasmine Crockett has not announced a 2026 Senate run, and no polls directly test her against Paxton or Cornyn.

Polls show Paxton vulnerable against Colin Allred, a likely Democratic contender. A TSU poll has Allred leading Paxton 52% to 37%, while Cornyn leads Allred by 6 points.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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