The New York Times reported that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate, is in a relationship with Tracy Duhon, a Christian author registered to vote as a Democrat in Louisiana. Paxton's campaign declined to comment on the report.
Where
Statewide
When
Oct. 27, 2026 (New York Times publication date)
Sources
Reported by 4 outlets
Taxes and money
The sources don't state an effect on taxes. They do state these figures.
State billing for security detail on Paxton trips to New Orleans areamore than $13,0001Who pays or receives it: State of Texas
Who's involved
Ken PaxtonTexas Attorney General, Republican Senate candidate
Tracy DuhonChristian author and nonprofit co-founder, Paxton's romantic partner
Madison CercyPaxton campaign spokeswoman
James TalaricoDemocratic Senate candidate
Angela PaxtonTexas state senator, Paxton's wife
The facts
Tracy Duhon is registered to vote as a Democrat in Louisiana according to voting records.12Stated by 2 sources
Paxton and Duhon traveled to Iceland and London over Fourth of July weekend.2
A trust with unnamed beneficiaries bought a five-bedroom house in a gated Frisco community in February.1
Paxton's wife Angela Paxton filed for divorce in July 2025 on biblical grounds, stating they had not lived together as spouses since June 2024.1
Paxton visited the New Orleans area at least five times since mid-2024, with no records of official business for three of those trips.1
Paxton's campaign spokeswoman said the New York Times story has nothing to do with the issues Texans care about.12Stated by 2 sources
Who said what
These are statements and claims made by the people involved. They are reported, not verified.
Paxton campaign spokeswoman Madison Cercy The attorney general's personal life is not a campaign issue.12
Daily Mail reporting Paxton and Duhon began dating in May 2024 after meeting at the Kentucky Derby while both were still married to other people.2
Where the sources disagree
Duhon's registration status in Texas Not registered to vote in Texas per [2]; sources state she is registered as Democrat in Louisiana [1,2]
How they headlined it
The same event, as each outlet put it. Marked words appear in only one outlet's headline.
Ken Paxton campaign scrambles to hide registered Democrat girlfriend from voters: NYT
These outlets were found through Google News headlines. Google decides which outlets appear there, and they lean mostly one way, so this sheet can only be as balanced as the reporting it was built from. Leanings are AllSides Media Bias Ratings.
A voter poll conducted for AP and news organizations found 56% of surveyed voters said data centres were a crucial or major factor in their vote in the US midterms. The poll also found 76% would oppose new data centre construction in their community, with stronger opposition among Democratic voters.
$$5 billion for monthly spending on building data centres (inflation-adjusted), August 2026
AP and news organizations consortium, Conducted voter poll on data centre concerns; BBC Verify, Analyzed data centre role in campaign and election outcomes; Pew Research, Conducted polling on public views of data centres and 3 more
Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican incumbent Greg Abbott in Texas's 2026 gubernatorial election. Hinojosa became the state's first Latina governor and the first Democrat elected to the office in more than 30 years. Latino voters, a record turnout in a midterm election, significantly influenced the outcome.
Gina Hinojosa, Democrat, elected Texas governor; Greg Abbott, Republican incumbent governor, defeated; Janet Murguía, President and CEO of UnidosUS and 2 more
In the November 2026 midterm elections, Latino voters moved sharply toward Democratic candidates, helping Democrats win Texas's Senate seat, governor's office, and all statewide offices on the ballot. Every Texas county voted more Democratic than in the 2024 presidential election.
Gabe Vasquez, Democratic U.S. Representative from New Mexico; Johnny Garcia, Sheriff's deputy who won newly created House district in San Antonio area; James Talarico, Democrat elected to U.S. Senate from Texas and 7 more
Political advertising analytics company Kinetiq Political Insights released research showing Republicans outspent Democrats on TV, radio and digital advertising during the 2026 midterm elections, though Democrats reached swing voters at lower cost.
$nearly $3 billion for republican political advertising spending on TV, radio and digital
Kinetiq Political Insights, political advertising analytics company that conducted research; National Media Insights, research firm that analyzed advertising efficiency; James Talarico, Democratic candidate who won Texas U.S. Senate race
Fox News host Jesse Watters said on his November 5 show that if Texas remains a Democratic state, a Republican will never win the White House again. He made the comments after November 2026 midterm elections in which Democrats won statewide office in Texas, including James Talarico's Senate victory and Gina Hinojosa's gubernatorial win.
Jesse Watters, Fox News host; James Talarico, Democratic Senate candidate; Ken Paxton, Republican state attorney general running for Senate and 2 more
James Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian and Texas state representative, won a U.S. Senate seat in the midterm election on November 3, 2026. He ran with a Christian message emphasizing caring for neighbors and challenging systems that require charity. His victory was part of a broader Democratic gain in which clergy candidates and other religiously-focused Democrats flipped control of Congress.
James Talarico, Texas state representative and Presbyterian seminarian; Democratic U.S. Senate candidate; Adam Hamilton, Megachurch pastor; Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in Kansas; Sarah Trone Garriott, Iowa minister; Democratic U.S. House candidate and 3 more
Jon Rosenthal, a Democrat and state representative from Cypress, won election to the Texas Railroad Commission, breaking over 30 years of Republican control of all commission seats. He is a former mechanical engineer with 25 years in the energy industry and four terms in the state House.
Jon Rosenthal, Democrat elected to Texas Railroad Commission; Bo French, Rosenthal's opponent for the commission seat; Ben Shepperd, President of Permian Basin Petroleum Association and 2 more
Forty-six of forty-seven data center-related ballot measures voted on November 3, 2026 passed, with roughly 98% overall support for restrictions including bans, moratoriums, power usage caps, and resident approval requirements. Only Harwood, North Dakota rejected its measure.
Greg Abbott, Republican Governor of Texas who promoted data center recruitment; Gina Hinojosa, Democrat elected Governor of Texas, pledging data center moratorium; Austin McCarty, Attorney handling Texas data center matters at K&L Gates