Paxton and Talarico Face Personal-Life Scrutiny in Texas Senate Race as 2 Unmarried Candidates Collide
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Aug 6
Paxton and Talarico Face Personal-Life Scrutiny in Texas Senate Race as 2 Unmarried Candidates Collide
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Aug 6
Summary
Ken Paxton and James Talarico are trying to keep their private lives off the trail, but the Texas Senate race has turned into an unusual matchup between a Republican in a pending divorce and a bachelor Democrat.
Paxton is navigating a split in which his wife, a state senator, has accused him of adultery, while Talarico only recently disclosed that he has a girlfriend who previously worked for him.
That contrast has added a voyeuristic layer to one of Texas' highest-profile contests, where campaign spouses have traditionally been treated as political assets and symbols of stability.
Trump-era politics may blunt the electoral impact of such scrutiny, the report said, as later marriage, nonmarriage and high divorce rates among older adults reshape what voters expect from candidates' family lives.