Paxton faces doubts from Republican women in Houston suburbs over character concerns

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is facing resistance from some Republican women in the Houston suburbs as he seeks a Senate seat against Democrat James Talarico. Several voters say allegations about his personal life and concerns about his character have made them reconsider supporting him, highlighting a challenge for a Republican candidate in a state where the party has long dominated statewide elections.

Paxton’s estranged wife, state senator Angela Paxton, filed for divorce last year, alleging adultery; he has also been photographed abroad with Christian influencer Tracy Duhon, who is presumed to be his girlfriend. One voter said Angela Paxton’s advert urging support for the Republican ticket, without naming her husband, was an “even bigger turnoff”. An October University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll put Talarico ahead of Paxton among women, 56 per cent to 40 per cent, and among suburban voters overall, 54 per cent to 44 per cent; some Republican women still back Paxton for his conservative positions.