Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton deployed his daughter to vouch for him Thursday after a scathing assault ad launched by Sen. John Cornyn of their more and more contentious Republican Senate main race.
Paxton’s marketing campaign released a video from his daughter Mattie Hayworth by which she says: “My dad is a really good guy. Loves God. He loves his family and he loves this country.”
She additionally wrote a column for the conservative publication Texas Scorecard revealed Thursday.
“My dad 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,” Hayworth writes.
The household help comes as the competition between Paxton, Cornyn and Rep. Wesley Hunt has grown more and more heated main as much as the March 3 main. It’s significantly notable given previous claims that Paxton asked a campaign donor to rent somebody with whom he was having an affair, allegations that have been cited by the Texas House in impeaching Paxton in 2023. He was later acquitted by the Texas Senate.
His spouse, Angela Paxton – a state senator and longtime political adviser – accused him of adultery and filed for divorce final 12 months on “biblical grounds.”
A Paxton adviser, talking on the situation of anonymity to debate inner technique, stated the ad that includes Hayworth was filmed earlier than Cornyn launched an ad that has drawn large consideration, although Paxton’s marketing campaign supposed for its video to reply to Cornyn’s.
The Cornyn Lonestar Victory Fund, a joint effort between the Cornyn marketing campaign and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, leveled a collection of assaults in opposition to Paxton. NCS couldn’t confirm all of the ad’s claims.
“It’s voting time, so let’s cut through the bulls**t,” the ad’s narrator begins. “Crooked Ken Paxton cheated on his wife. She’s divorcing him on ‘biblical grounds.’”
“Now, think of the Paxton dirty deeds we don’t know about yet,” the narrator provides.
In the op-ed revealed Thursday, Hayworth accused Paxton’s opponents of “ugly attacks” on her father.
“When his opponent can’t win on policy, he goes after character,” Hayworth wrote. “But anyone who has spent real time with my dad knows that the attacks bear no resemblance to the man they claim to describe.”
Paxton has survived a collection of controversies all through his time because the state’s lawyer basic, together with a felony securities fraud investigation that was finally settled.
“We overcame them all,” he advised reporters final week.
Cornyn and his allies have warned nominating Paxton to the highest of the Republican ticket in November would endanger GOP probabilities within the historically red-voting state.
“We will have an election day massacre,” Cornyn stated earlier this month. “If Ken Paxton is at the top of the ticket, we risk losing the Senate seat, losing the majority in the House of Representatives, and it will take a toll on everybody in the ballot.”
In a assertion, Paxton stated, “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.”
The three-way GOP area might lead to a late May runoff between the highest two finishers if no candidate is ready to clear the 50% vote threshold subsequent week.
A University of Houston Hobby School ballot performed in late January discovered Paxton main the sector amongst probably voters. Paxton earned 38% help in comparison with 31% for Cornyn and Hunt at 17%. 12% of these polled stated they have been undecided.
One of the largest query marks within the race is whether or not President Donald Trump will resolve to help a candidate. Trump, who’s touring to Corpus Christi on Friday, has to date withheld an endorsement.
“I just haven’t made a decision on that race yet. It’s got a ways to go,” Trump advised reporters 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.”