Austin — Angela Paxton Backs GOP Ticket, Omits Husband's Senate Bid

Austin, Texas — Texas state Sen. Angela Paxton, a Republican, told voters in a campaign ad released Saturday to back the party's full midterm ticket without once naming her estranged husband, Senate candidate Ken Paxton, according to NBC News.

What did the ad say?

In the spot, the state senator said she is "voting for the Republican ticket on Nov. 3," framing the midterms as a team contest rather than a referendum on any single candidate, NBC News reported. "In a general election, it's not as much about the individual players on the team; it's about getting the whole team across the finish line," she said. "Either we hold every Republican seat, or we hand the future of Texas to the other team."

Why did she avoid naming her husband directly?

The omission comes a year after she filed for divorce on what court filings described as "biblical grounds," per NBC News. Even so, she told viewers to "talk about the elephant in the room" — an apparent nod to the marriage's public unraveling — without clarifying whether that vote would extend to the man she is divorcing. Her office did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment on whether she intends to cast a ballot for him herself.

What is at stake in the Senate race?

The ad surfaced as the Republican trails Democratic opponent James Talarico in polling for the Texas Senate seat, NBC News reported. The current attorney general is seeking to move from the state's top legal office to Washington, and the appeal from his estranged spouse — stopping short of using his name — lands at a moment when the campaign is working to consolidate straight-ticket Republican support across the state.

What controversies has he faced in office?

The attorney general's tenure has been marked by allegations of abuse of office and bribery, according to NBC News. The Republican-controlled Texas House impeached him in 2023, though the state Senate later acquitted him. That Senate trial also aired allegations of infidelity. He has denied any wrongdoing throughout.

What happens before Election Day?

With the Nov. 3 election approaching, the ad's release signals an effort by state party figures to keep Republican turnout unified even amid personal turmoil within the candidate's own household. Angela Paxton's exact voting intentions for the Senate race remain unconfirmed, and NBC News noted her office had not clarified the matter by publication. Whether the ad moves undecided Texas voters, or whether the unnamed reference becomes a talking point for Talarico's campaign, will likely become clearer as polling updates ahead of the general election.

For now, the public record shows a state senator asking Texans to vote Republican down the ballot — leaving her own household's ballot a private matter.

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