For years, Texas Republicans have rallied around the banner of “draining the swamp,” wielding the phrase as both a moral stance and a political sword. It has been a declaration of war against institutional corruption, a promise to restore accountability, and a rallying cry to voters who believe that character still matters in public life. But as Ken Paxton emerges as the leading candidate in the 2026 race for the United States Senate, that message is being tested in a way that few could have imagined. The shock and disbelief among Texas Republicans are palpable. What happens when the face of a movement built on integrity is a man whose name has become synonymous with scandal, legal evasion, and now, personal betrayal?
Ken Paxton has never been a conventional politician, but the scope and persistence of his legal and ethical troubles are anything but ordinary. Since 2015, he has faced a felony indictment for securities fraud. This case remained unresolved for nearly a decade. Though the charges were recently dismissed through a pretrial agreement that included restitution and community service, the fact remains that Paxton spent most of his time as Attorney General under the cloud of criminal suspicion. And the securities fraud case was only the beginning. In 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed civil charges against him for allegedly misleading investors, another chapter in what has become a long and troubling pattern of ethical breaches.
In 2020, that pattern exploded into a full-blown crisis when several of Paxton’s top aides accused him of abusing his office to benefit a political donor, Austin real estate investor Nate Paul. The whistleblowers were all conservative appointees, people who had served under Paxton and claimed to have witnessed firsthand how he allegedly intervened in legal matters to help Paul in exchange for favors. Among the accusations was the claim that Paxton used his influence to secure a job for a woman with whom he was having an extramarital affair. The allegations prompted an FBI investigation and led to Paxton’s impeachment by the Texas House of Representatives in 2023. The vote to impeach was not led by Democrats but by members of his party who could no longer justify his behavior.
The Texas Senate, however, acquitted him in a trial that critics argue was more shaped by political allegiance than by the facts. The evidence was not exonerating. The process left many Texans questioning whether the Republican Party’s commitment to law and order applied to its members. For those who believed in the principle of personal responsibility, the message was unsettling. If a politician can survive impeachment, a felony indictment, and an active federal investigation without consequence, then what does accountability mean anymore? This not only raises questions about Paxton's integrity but also about the Republican Party's stance on such issues, potentially tarnishing the party's image in the eyes of the public.
And yet, even as these legal sagas unfolded, Paxton remained a political force. He embraced the role of the embattled outsider, painting himself as a victim of a political witch hunt. His loyal base, fueled by distrust of institutions and resentment toward perceived elites, only grew stronger. Paxton’s approval among Republican primary voters held firm, allowing him to dominate early polling in the race to replace Senator John Cornyn. But just as he seemed poised to claim the nomination, a new scandal erupted, one that struck at the very core of his personal and political identity.
On July 10, 2025, Angela Paxton, a Texas state senator and the Attorney General’s wife of nearly four decades, filed for divorce. Her court documents cited “biblical grounds,” alleging adultery and referencing recent discoveries that she said made the continuation of their marriage impossible. The two had reportedly been separated since June of the previous year. The divorce was not merely a private matter; it was a political earthquake. Angela Paxton, a Republican lawmaker with a strong base, her donors, and considerable influence, played a significant role in the divorce proceedings. For years, the Paxtons had presented themselves as a team, a family rooted in Christian values and conservative principles. The divorce shattered that image overnight.
Within days of the filing, a judge, following standard legal procedures, sealed the court records, shielding the public from the full scope of the allegations. But the damage was already done. Conservative advocacy groups, once among Paxton’s most reliable supporters, began to recoil. Texas Values, a prominent Christian policy organization, rescinded its endorsement, citing the divorce and allegations of infidelity as incompatible with the moral leadership the state requires. Republican voters across the state were left to reconcile the contrast between Paxton’s political rhetoric and the reality of his conduct.
The divorce came at a pivotal moment in the campaign. Paxton had just completed a fundraising quarter in which he raised nearly three million dollars, a substantial sum that underscored his enduring appeal among grassroots conservatives. But even as the money flowed in, doubts were growing among Republican voters. The divorce, when combined with years of legal troubles, made Paxton more vulnerable than at any time in recent memory. His opponents, both declared and potential, saw an opening.
Representative Wesley Hunt, a Houston Republican and West Point graduate, has begun airing six-figure ad buys in significant markets across the state. His message is unmistakable: conservative values without the baggage. Hunt has not officially entered the race, but his television presence and rising name recognition have already reshaped the primary landscape. In early polling that includes his name, Paxton’s support dips sharply, suggesting that voters may be open to an alternative, if one emerges with a credible platform and enough time to build momentum.
Senator John Cornyn, whose seat Paxton is vying to fill, has remained relatively quiet in public but is widely expected to campaign against him behind the scenes. Cornyn, a seasoned lawmaker with deep ties to Republican donors and strategists, has observed his party shifting toward a more populist and confrontational style in recent years. However, the Paxton campaign may be the ultimate test of whether the party is willing to compromise on everything, including ethics, law, and morality, for the sake of short-term power. This potential shift in the party's style is a significant development that could reshape the political landscape.
The general election is still more than a year away, but the stakes are growing. The Cook Political Report recently shifted its rating for the Texas Senate seat from “Solid Republican” to “Likely Republican,” citing Paxton’s vulnerabilities and the possibility of a competitive Democratic challenge. Colin Allred has already announced his candidacy, and other Democrats, including James Talarico and potentially Beto O’Rourke, are weighing their options. If Paxton secures the nomination, he may enter the general election as a wounded candidate, defined more by his scandals than by his policy positions.
Republican leaders in Texas now face a choice that will define their party for years to come. They can continue to support a candidate whose record is dominated by personal and professional misconduct, or they can rally behind an alternative who embodies the principles they claim to uphold. To do the former is to abandon any pretense of moral clarity. To do the latter is to begin rebuilding trust in a political system that has for too long rewarded loyalty over integrity.
The time to decide is now. Paxton’s campaign is no longer just a referendum on one man’s fitness for office. It is a test of whether Texas Republicans are serious about draining the swamp, or whether that phrase was always just another slogan. The voters deserve a candidate who will fight for their interests without dragging the state through scandal after scandal. The Republican Party has the talent, the infrastructure, and the opportunity to offer that candidate. What it must summon now is the will. Because Texas deserves better, and the nation is watching.
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