She's in the room. Literally.
Barred from voting at his impeachment trial, she sat through testimony about his alleged affair.
Watch the elephant grow.
Elephant size
Pocket-sized. Easy to ignore.
The affair wasn't just a family matter
A donor, Nate Paul, did Paxton favors, including a fake Uber account for the affair and a job for his alleged mistress. Paxton used his office to intervene in a federal investigation into Paul.
She files for divorce
“On biblical grounds,” after 38 years, alleging adultery.
“Let’s talk about the elephant in the room.”
That’s how her Texas PAC ad opens. Then: it’s “not as much about the individual players on the team.”
Either we hold every Republican seat, or we hand the future of Texas to the other team. That’s why I’m voting for the Republican ticket on Nov. 3. Angela Paxton, Texas PAC ad, which closes: “Let’s hold the line together.”
She never says Ken Paxton’s name.
Quick answers
Who is Angela Paxton?
A Republican Texas state senator from McKinney who filed for divorce from Ken Paxton, now the GOP nominee for U.S. Senate, in July 2025.
Is Angela Paxton related to Ken Paxton?
She’s his wife. They were married 38 years when she filed for divorce in July 2025, and no final divorce has been reported.
Why did Angela Paxton file for divorce?
She filed “on biblical grounds,” alleging adultery after what she called “recent discoveries.” Ken Paxton denied the allegations.
Is Ken Paxton still married?
As far as has been reported, yes. Angela Paxton filed for divorce in July 2025; a June 2026 trial date was dropped for settlement talks, and no final divorce has been reported.
Was the affair part of Ken Paxton’s impeachment?
Yes. Evidence at his 2023 impeachment trial showed a donor, Nate Paul, did Paxton favors, including a fake Uber account for the affair and a job for his alleged mistress. Angela Paxton sat through the testimony. The Senate acquitted him.
What did Angela Paxton say in her Texas PAC ad?
She opens with “Let’s talk about the elephant in the room,” says she’s voting for the Republican ticket on Nov. 3, and closes with “Let’s hold the line together.” She never says Ken Paxton’s name.
What did Angela Paxton mean by “the elephant in the room”?
She didn’t say. The ad argues the election is not about “the individual players on the team” and never mentions her estranged husband, the Republican at the top of that ticket.
What is Ken Paxton accused of?
His own top deputies reported him to the FBI for bribery. In 2023, 60 House Republicans voted to impeach him for using his office to help a donor; the Senate acquitted him. He was also indicted for securities fraud.
What's inside the elephant
The elephant, itemized.
- Read more: how a wealthy donor did Ken Paxton favors, including a fake Uber account for his affair and a job for his alleged mistress
- Read more: how Ken Paxton became a multimillionaire on a $153,000 salary, with at least 15 properties
- Read more: how Ken Paxton's office first offered an admitted child molester one day in jail
- Read more: how Ken Paxton's own top deputies reported him to the FBI for bribery
- Read more: how Ken Paxton fired the whistleblowers, and taxpayers got stuck with a $6.6 million judgment
- Read more: how Ken Paxton was indicted for securities fraud months after taking office
- Read more: how 60 Republicans voted to impeach Ken Paxton