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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton came out strong Friday morning, announcing a “historic” $2.9 million fundraising haul over the past three months for his Republican Senate campaign.
Paxton, a MAGA champion and longtime ally of President Donald Trump – who has been battered over the past decade by multiple controversies – is primary challenging longtime GOP Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, in what is shaping up to be an expensive and bitterly brutal battle.
The fundraising announcement by Paxton came hours after a new development rocked the Lone Star State’s primary race.
Paxton’s wife, Texas state Sen. Angela Paxton, a Republican, announced Thursday that she’s filed for divorce from her longtime husband.
‘BIBLICAL GROUNDS’ – KEN PAXTON’S WIFE FILES FOR DIVORCE
“Today, after 38 years of marriage, I filed for divorce on biblical grounds,” the state senator wrote in a social media post.
“I believe marriage is a sacred covenant and I have earnestly pursued reconciliation,” she added. “But 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.”
In his own statement, Ken Paxton said that “after facing the pressures of countless political attacks and public scrutiny, Angela and I have decided to start a new chapter in our lives.”
The attorney general added that “I could not be any more proud or grateful for the incredible family that God has blessed us with, and I remain committed to supporting our amazing children and grandchildren. I ask for your prayers and privacy at this time.”
TRUMP ALLY PAXTON LAUNCHES SENATE PRIMARY CHALLENGE IN TEXAS
Paxton, who first won election as Texas attorney general in 2014 and has been re-elected twice, was impeached a couple of years ago by the Texas House of Representatives on allegations of corruption, which included claims related to an extramarital affair. He was later acquitted by the state Senate.
A veteran Texas-based Republican strategist, when asked how the divorce bombshell will impact the Senate primary, said the key is whether there are more damaging revelations to come.
“Most people I’m talking to are expecting a lot more details in this story that Republican primary voters aren’t going to be too happy about,” said the strategist, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely. “I think there is quite more to come and soon.”
Paxton, in his fundraising release, highlighted that he was “blown away by the support I’ve received since launching my campaign. The grassroots movement to fire John Cornyn continues to grow stronger every single day, and this is only just the beginning.”
“Our voters have been excited to send John Cornyn packing for years, which is why he’s down over 20 points, and his campaign is getting more and more desperate,” Paxton said, as he pointed to a number of recent polls indicating his lead over the senator.
Thanks to his strong support among MAGA world, polling has never been Paxton’s’ problem in taking on Cornyn.
The more important issue was whether he could compete financially with a senator with a history of strong fundraising.
Cornyn’s campaign has yet to announce its second quarter fundraising. But Texans for a Conservative Majority, a Cornyn-aligned super PAC, announced on July 1 that they had raked in $10.9 million over the past three months.
A separate GOP consultant in Texas, who also asked for anonymity, said Paxton needs to quickly answer questions to make sure supporters and donors don’t jump ship.
“The people that are backing him with their public support, such as elected officials, or people who are backing him financially, are going to want answers very quickly, as in today, about what’s the damage. Is this true? Do you deny it? What other issues may come up if your spouse is looking to tell their version of the truth,” the consultant said.
And the consultant noted that what Paxton’s wife says going forward will be crucial.
“State Sen. Angele Paxton had been by Ken’s side for the entire saga over the last decade and up close and personal with all the issues he’s been accused of. She’s been front and center for it all.”
While Cornyn’s campaign didn’t put out any statement regarding the divorce news, it did issue a release titled: “Ken Paxton’s TERRIBLE week.”
It included a social media post from Matt Schaeffer, a conservative former member of the state legislature who argued that “Paxton is morally unfit to hold office.”
While Trump has stayed neutral in the primary so far, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) are backing Cornyn.
There’s a possibility another Republican could enter the Senate primary.
Three-term Rep. Wesley Hunt, a rising MAGA star who represents a Houston-area district, has been mulling a Senate run. Sources confirmed to Fox News earlier this year that Hunt had made his case to President Donald Trump’s political team that he’s the only person who can win both a GOP primary and a general election.
And on Friday, a Texas-based conservative strategist who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, told Fox News he believes “Hunt is still the only candidate in Texas that can win the primary and the general election.”
A different consultant noted that “the possibility that Ken will exit the race changes the dynamics dramatically,” and that “it absolutely does give Hunt something to think about.”
Hunt, along with Cornyn and GOP Sen. Ted Cruz joined the president on Friday on a flight from the nation’s capital to Texas on board Air Force One, as Trump traveled to the state to survey damage from horrific flooding that grabbed national headlines this week.
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