Sen. John Cornyn dragged key rival Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for being a “wife-cheater” in an ad released earlier this week. Not long after, the latter’s daughter came to his defense. In a newly released ad, Paxton’s daughter, Mattie Hayworth, was seen extolling her father.
Cornyn, who is contesting in the Texas Republican Senate primary against Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt, highlighted Paxton’s adulterous past in an ad.
The minute-long ad narrated, “It’s voting time, so let’s cut through the b——-. Crooked Ken Paxton cheated on his wife. She’s divorcing him on biblical grounds. So now, Paxton’s wrecking another home, sleeping around with a married mother of seven.”
The ad also attacked his way of accumulating assets and accuses him of siding with left-wing organizations that exploit children. “Remember this, Crooked Ken has increased his net worth by as much as 7000% since taking office. And his actions in office? Even more troubling.”
“Paxton gave millions of Texas tax dollars to left-wing organizations, including the Montrose Center that hosts drag queen shows and performs gender affirming services to kids as young as seven,” it said.
Ken Paxton has been in office for 23 years. He has betrayed his colleagues; he has betrayed taxpayers; and he has betrayed his family. @CrookedKenTX https://t.co/ERJbPLdUap
— Senator John Cornyn (@JohnCornyn) October 11, 2025
As the heavy accusations piled up, Paxton’s team released a 30-second ad, starring Hayworth and her husband, Daniel, sitting in their living room as Ken Paxton joined a FaceTime call.
Hayworth says, “My dad is a really good guy. He loves God, he loves his family, and he loves this country. A lot of people may call him General Paxton, Ken Paxton, but our kids call him Poppop. He’ll, you know, take FaceTime from them when he’s in a meeting.”
Daniel cuts in, “He will tell us over and over, ‘This is why I’m doing what I’m doing.’ He wants his grandkids to grow up in an America that’s still recognizable.”
NEW AD: My kids know I’m running for Senate because I’m fighting for them and their children’s future.
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. pic.twitter.com/vBBo0etzQd
— Attorney General Ken Paxton (@KenPaxtonTX) February 26, 2026
However, netizens accused Paxton of allegedly using his daughter to defend himself from the cheater allegations. “This is just pitiful that you would get your daughter to lie for you,” one user wrote.
“Especially after everything Ken has done to destroy her family,” another chimed in. “This is sick, using your child like that. Speaks volumes about your character,” a third user commented.
Mattie also defended her father for Texas Scorecard by penning an essay. She wrote, “When his opponent, unable to compete on record, on results, or on values, resorts to attacking my father’s character and personal life, I feel compelled to speak up.”
“Not as a campaign surrogate. As his daughter. Anyone who has spent real time with my dad knows that the attacks bear no resemblance to the man they claim to describe,” Mattie added.
The 63-year-old Texas attorney general was embroiled in cheating allegations last summer when his wife, Angela, with whom he has four kids, filed for a divorce on biblical grounds.
In 2023, Ken Paxton faced impeachment when he was accused of using his status to help real estate investor Nate Paul. Former employees also testified that the Texas Attorney General had an affair with Nate’s staffer, Laura Olson.
Paxton’s lawyer, however, refuted such claims, “Imagine if we impeached everybody here in Austin that had had an affair,” he said at the time. “We’d be impeaching for the next 100 years, wouldn’t we?”
