Daughter of GOP Senate candidate rushes to dad’s defense after rival calls him ‘crooked home wrecker’ over cheating scandal
The daughter of Texas GOP Senate candidate Ken Paxton came to her father’s defense after his primary opponent accused him of being a ‘crooked home wrecker.’
Paxton, the state’s attorney general, is attempting to oust John Cornyn, the four-term incumbent senator. Cornyn released a commercial about the cheating allegations in an attempt to boost his primary hopes.
The ad claims that ‘crooked Ken Paxton cheated on his wife’ and is ‘wrecking another home, sleeping around with a married mother of seven.’
The Daily Mail exclusively revealed in September that Paxton, 63 was accused of using taxpayer dollars to bankroll secret trips with his mistress, aforementioned mother of seven Tracy Duhon.
When asked back then about Duhon being his mistress, Paxton – whose wife filed for divorce on ‘biblical grounds’ last year – did not address the claim but attacked the Daily Mail and vowed to take on the ‘deranged radical Left’ with Trump.
Now, Paxton’s daughter Mattie Hayworth has written an op-ed for The Texas Scorecard saying ‘the attacks bear no resemblance to the man they claim to describe.’
Hayworth accused Cornyn of being ‘unable to compete on record, on results, or on values, resorts to attacking my father’s character and personal life.’
She doesn’t directly confirm or deny the allegations but says that her father ‘is not perfect; none of us are. But he is a man of deep faith, genuine love for his family, and an unrelenting commitment to doing right by the people of Texas.’
The daughter of Texas GOP Senate candidate Ken Paxton (pictured) came to her father’s defense after his primary opponent accused him of being a ‘crooked home wrecker’
Paxton, the state’s attorney general, is attempting to oust John Cornyn (pictured), the four-term incumbent senator
‘His opponents can dispute a lot of things, but they cannot dispute that. So instead, they stoop to ugly attacks on the man,’ she said of Cornyn.
Hayworth praised her father for consistently showing up for her, leading her to her Christian faith and being a model for her own husband, as well as an ‘invested’ grandfather to her four children.
‘When I look at this race, I see a clear choice. On one side, a man with an impeccable conservative record and a lifetime of showing up for Texas and his family. On the other, a candidate whose only path to victory runs through attacking not only my dad but our family directly, because the record comparison isn’t close,’ Hayworth wrote.
Cornyn’s campaign ad – which pits the race as between a ‘Texas workhorse’ and ‘the wife cheater and fraud’ doesn’t just take on Paxton’s alleged philandering, it accuses him of using his office to get rich.
They also claim Paxton boosted ‘left-wing organizations’ with Texans’ tax dollars.
‘Now think of the Paxton dirty deeds we don’t know about … yet,’ it warns.
Paxton responded again by not addressing the accusations but said what Paxton had done was underhanded.
‘Unlike John Cornyn, who’s become a desperate shell of a man clinging to power, my campaign is not about attacking someone else’s family. It’s about protecting America,’ he said in a statement.
With her then-husband Troy Duhon standing between them, Paxton’s mistress Tracy Duhon and AG Paxton posed for a photo at the Kentucky Derby in May 2024
Paxton’s daughter Mattie Hayworth (pictured center right) has written an op-ed for The Texas Scorecard saying ‘the attacks bear no resemblance to the man they claim to describe’
In September, the Cornyn camp fired off a Texas Public Information Act request to Paxton’s office, seeking records of his travel and activities with lover Tracy Duhon dating back to March 2024, the Daily Mail has learned.
‘Taxpayers deserve to know,’ if Paxton is using his office and taxpayer resources to conduct and conceal an affair, Cornyn campaign senior advisor Matt Mackowiak told Daily Mail Thursday.
The request was submitted Wednesday under the Texas Public Information Act to Paxton’s office, which is responsible for fielding public records requests.
It cites a Daily Mail article from September 12 that said Paxton has been ‘traveling across the country and even overseas’ to meet up with Duhon, a 57-year-old Christian influencer.
‘As this travel was ‘essential to keeping the entanglement secret’ from Paxton’s wife, it falls under the category of personal travel,’ the official application argues.
‘If Paxton has used official resources to pay for any of these trips, or if the getaways conflicted with responsibilities to the State of Texas, Texans deserve to know.’
Current Revolt, a Texas political website, said it received a tip in May that Paxton was seen at the Drover Hotel pool wearing a bathing suit while having ‘questionable interactions’ with a woman who wasn’t his wife.
He was known to use the name ‘Kyle’ during frequent visits to the hotel, the outlet reported.
Hayworth accused Cornyn of being ‘unable to compete on record, on results, or on values, resorts to attacking my father’s character and personal life’
Senator John Cornyn is leading the charge in his battle with Attorney General Ken Paxton, pushing for proof that he used taxpayer dollars to bankroll his trips with his mistress
That report came shortly after Daily Mail’s bombshell expose revealing how 62-year-old Paxton was carrying on an affair with Duhon, hidden from both their spouses.
In a follow-up Tuesday, the Mail revealed how the scandal has upended Duhon’s life – though she still lives in her ex-husband Troy’s lavish lakeside mansion on Lake Pontchartrain, just outside New Orleans, even after their recent divorce.
The pair has etched out a co-parenting agreement after she left the car dealership mogul last year, with it only being finalized last month.
Multiple sources confirmed Duhon, a mother of seven who is also an author, is the reason the politician’s marriage crumbled earlier this summer.
Texas State Senator Angela Paxton announced in July that after 38 years she wanted a divorce in a stinging tweet, citing ‘biblical grounds’.
It is not the first time Paxton has been rocked by scandal, having been caught cheating on Angela in 2023 with former state senate aide Laura Olsen.
He was impeached by the state house, accused of misusing his office and taking bribes while trying to get a job for his lover. He denied the allegations and was acquitted of in the state senate.
Angela stood by him through that first scandal.
Paxton’s wife, Texas State Senator Angela Paxton, appears to have hit her breaking point with her scandal-ridden husband as she announced their separation on X after nearly 40 years
Laura Olson, Paxton’s former mistress left the Texas Capitol in September 2023 after sitting through testimony about their affair
But the latest incident with Duhon was the last straw and could threaten Paxton’s latest bid to become a US senator.
The romance between Duhon and Paxton started after the pair met at the Kentucky Derby last year, multiple sources revealed to the Daily Mail.
They stayed under the same roof at the home of a mutual friend who hosted them for the event, an insider shared.
Since May 2024, the lovers have had multiple rendezvous on trips across the country and even overseas, according to insiders.
The getaways were essential to keeping the entanglement secret as both were married at the time, the sources said.
On social media, Duhon bragged about her 27-year marriage to the wealthy owner of 39 car dealerships.
A New Orleans native, Duhon keeps an active social media presence, discussing the power of prayer and advising others on how to navigate death and other difficult times of their lives.
On her website, Duhon shares she lost two babies who died the day they were born in separate pregnancies.
Texas State Sen. Angela Paxton, filed for divorce in July citing ‘biblical grounds’
In an emotional post to X, Angela, 62, announced the end of their 38-year marriage
Her faith and grief counseling are the subject of her book, When Hope is All You Have.
‘Paxton is enamored with her face. He’s enamored with her story of overcoming adversity – she’s lost two children. He’s enamored with her faith,’ one source explained.
The source claims Paxton has a ‘sincere’ affection for her and believes she could be the second major relationship in his life.
Despite their best efforts to keep their relationship under wraps, Paxton’s wife learned her husband was cheating again earlier this year, another source said.
Even though the Paxtons had not lived together since the summer of 2024, learning about Duhon made the arrangement between Angela and Paxton untenable, sources explained.
The Duhon’s finalized their divorce last month, a source confirmed to the Daily Mail.
In an epic tweet, Angela Paxton announced the end of her 38-year marriage earlier this summer.
‘Today, after 38 years of marriage, I filed for divorce on biblical grounds,’ she announced to the world on X on July 10.
Duhon, a Christian influencer and mother of seven, finalized her split from car dealership mogul Troy just last month, having reached a co-parenting agreement after walking out on the marriage last year
Paxton, a staunch ally of President Donald Trump, is in a battle to attempt to unseat Cornyn, who’s considered a more establishment Republican
Trump, who has referred to Cornyn as a ‘RINO’ in the past, has not made up his mind on who to endorse between the Senator, Paxton and Representative Wesley Hunt
‘…in light of recent discoveries, I do not believe that it honors God or is loving to myself, my children, or Ken to remain in the marriage.’
A public official in her own right, Angela represents the Dallas suburb of McKinney in the Texas Senate.
She accused Ken of ‘adultery’ in court filings according to KUT News, however their divorce records have now been sealed.
Ken Paxton, a staunch ally of Donald Trump, has hitched his wagon to the MAGA movement, becoming one of the fiercest defenders of the President.
Last year, he decided to try to unseat four-term Senator Cornyn, considered a more establishment Republican.
Now, both office holders are desperately trying to convince conservative voters they are the purest incarnation of the GOP.
Both Paxton and Cornyn are appealing to conservatives who rank Christianity and family values as top priorities.
Prior to news of the Paxton divorce, the MAGA Attorney General was ahead by as many as 16 points with conservative voters in the state.
Polling in the weeks after Angela announced the divorce shows Cornyn and Paxton in a dead heat.
Donald Trump, who has referred to Cornyn as a ‘RINO’ in the past, has not made up his mind on who to endorse between the Senator, Paxton and Representative Wesley Hunt.
‘I just haven’t made a decision on that race yet. It’s got a ways to go,’ Trump said earlier this month.
‘They’ve all supported me. They’re all good, and you’re supposed to pick one. So we’ll see what happens. But I support all three involved.’
