Nicolai Haugsted
Ken Paxton appears to swap political humiliation for tropical vacation with controversial lover
Losing an election is never particularly pleasant, especially when the result makes political history for all the wrong reasons.
For Texas Republicans, last week’s midterm elections delivered a defeat that few would have imagined possible just a few years ago. Their decades-long dominance in statewide elections came crashing down, handing Democrats a victory with potentially enormous consequences.
But while the Republican Party is still dealing with the fallout, one of its most controversial figures appears to have found a rather different way of processing the disappointment.
According to TMZ, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been spotted preparing for a tropical getaway with Christian influencer Tracy Duhon, the woman at the center of his highly publicized extramarital affair.
The apparent destination? Fiji, thousands of miles away from the political embarrassment awaiting him back home.
Ken Paxton appears ready to swap politics for paradise
The 63-year-old Republican was photographed at San Francisco International Airport alongside Duhon, 58, just days after losing his bid for a US Senate seat.
According to TMZ, a witness overheard the couple discussing whether their luggage would successfully reach Fiji.
The Pacific island nation is more than 6,500 miles from Texas, offering Paxton considerable distance from the election headlines.
The pair certainly appeared prepared for warmer surroundings.
Photographs showed Paxton wearing a straw hat and a light blue hoodie while navigating the airport with several bags.
Duhon, meanwhile, wore a similar straw hat and pushed her own suitcase.
Their coordinated vacation outfits were a considerable departure from the campaign trail, where Paxton’s appearance and clothing had reportedly attracted criticism from Donald Trump himself.
Whether the couple ultimately reached Fiji has not been independently established, but the airport photographs suggest Paxton has little interest in spending the immediate aftermath of his defeat in Texas.
His relationship has already caused political trouble
Paxton’s relationship with Duhon has attracted considerable attention throughout his Senate campaign.
The pair previously made headlines during the Fourth of July holiday weekend after being spotted traveling together through Washington Dulles International Airport.
Their journey reportedly included a flight to Reykjavik, Iceland, followed by time in London.
According to the Daily Mail, Paxton and Duhon began their relationship in May 2024 after meeting at the Kentucky Derby.
Both were reportedly married at the time.
The affair became particularly controversial after Paxton’s wife, Texas state Senator Angela Paxton, filed for divorce in 2025.
She sought to end their 38-year marriage, citing “biblical grounds” and accusing her husband of adultery.
Their divorce was finalized Thursday, meaning Duhon is no longer involved with a married Paxton.
However, the relationship is hardly the first time the attorney general’s private life has attracted political scrutiny.
A long history of personal scandals
Paxton previously faced impeachment proceedings in Texas in 2023 following allegations of misconduct, including matters connected to an earlier extramarital relationship with Laura Olsen.
The allegations included claims that he had used his position to benefit a political donor who was connected to the affair.
The Texas House of Representatives voted to impeach him, but the state Senate subsequently acquitted him.
Despite the controversies, Paxton remained a powerful figure within the Republican Party and maintained the support of Donald Trump.
That relationship eventually helped him secure the Republican nomination for the US Senate.
Trump backed Paxton over incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn, whom the president considered insufficiently loyal.
The decision would ultimately prove costly.
Trump’s gamble ends in a historic Democratic victory
Paxton entered the general election with the endorsement of the president and substantial financial support from influential conservative donors.
Elon Musk reportedly spent $212 million supporting his Senate ambitions.
Yet the enormous financial investment and presidential backing failed to deliver the desired result.
Democratic candidate James Talarico, a 37-year-old Texas state representative, defeated Paxton by 12 percentage points.
The result was historic.
Talarico became the first Democrat to win a US Senate seat in Texas since 1988, ending a Republican winning streak that had lasted nearly four decades.
Paxton also became the first Republican in more than 30 years to lose a statewide election in Texas.
For Trump, the outcome was particularly embarrassing because he had personally intervened in the Republican nomination contest.
According to The Wall Street Journal, advisers said the president had already begun regretting his decision to support Paxton before the election.
Nevertheless, Trump defended his endorsement during an Election Day interview with Fox News host Bret Baier.
“I had no choice. Ken Paxton was a good guy, and I just wasn’t a fan of Cornyn,” Trump said.
The president’s loyalty to Paxton ultimately failed to prevent one of the Republican Party’s most consequential defeats of the midterm elections.
