Ken Paxton has long faced allegations of a years-old extramarital affair, which came up at length during his 2023 impeachment trial in the Texas Senate.
His lawyers did not dispute it during the trial, which centred on abuse-of-office and bribery accusations.
Cornyn’s campaign declined to comment on Angela Paxton’s divorce filing, though the National Republican Senatorial Committee issued a statement criticising the attorney-general.
“What Ken Paxton has put his family through is truly repulsive and disgusting,” committee spokeswoman Joanna Rodriguez said.
“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.”
While Cornyn’s campaign did not comment on the divorce filing, it reposted a former Republican state lawmaker on X who responded to the news by calling Paxton “morally unfit to hold office”.
Cornyn has trailed Paxton in early polling, concerning national Republicans who believe Paxton could make the race more competitive for Democrats if he emerges as the GOP nominee.
Trump has so far declined to make an endorsement in the primary, saying he likes both men and will decide later who to support.
Cornyn’s campaign previously attacked Paxton over the alleged affair from years ago, specifically the allegations that he used a secret Uber account.
Angela Paxton, a former teacher, has served in the Texas Senate since 2019.
She once was an enthusiastic supporter of her husband’s political activities, performing a song at GOP gatherings where she spoke of being a “pistol-packin’ mama” whose husband “sues Obama”, referring to the former Democratic president.
She was among the senators who sat in on her husband’s impeachment trial, where he fought charges that he misused his office to help a wealthy businessman, friend and donor, Nate Paul.
One of the impeachment articles alleged Paul helped Paxton by employing “a woman with whom Paxton was having an extramarital affair”.
Angela Paxton was permitted to attend the trial but prohibited from voting or participating in deliberations.
During the trial, Paxton’s former chief of staff testified that Paxton confessed to the affair in 2018 during a meeting with top aides and his wife.
Paxton’s lawyers downplayed the relevance of the alleged affair but otherwise did not deny it.
“Imagine if we impeached everybody here in Austin that had had an affair,” a Paxton lawyer, Tony Buzbee, said during the trial. “We’d be impeaching for the next 100 years, wouldn’t we?”
The Senate eventually voted to acquit Paxton on all impeachment articles, letting him stay in office as Texas’ top law enforcement official.
