Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate, has been caught in a series of leaked recordings from a September fundraiser in Washington, D.C. In the audio, Paxton privately blamed President Donald Trump’s war in Iran, fuel costs, and centralized campaign control for his struggling campaign.
Paxton’s Private Assessment of Campaign Woes
In a closed-door fundraising event last month, Ken Paxton offered a starkly different account of his Senate bid than the one presented by his campaign publicly. Asked by an attendee to identify the factors dragging
on his numbers, Paxton pointed directly to the administration’s foreign policy and the resulting economic strain on voters.
“It’s not tariffs… it’s the war, it’s gas prices, it’s diesel. When it’s over $6 per gallon for diesel… people are feeling the pinch. That’s probably the biggest problem and that pushed out the food prices and everything else. So that’s by far our biggest problem.”
Ken Paxton, Texas Attorney General
The audio, obtained by Axios, captures Paxton admitting that the campaign is having a hard time with numbers
because of these uncontrollable variables. When an attendee noted that he could not stop the war, Paxton agreed, adding that he had no control over gas prices or many of the factors shaping the federal race. He noted that while he is attempting to propose legislation to help, such as new tax write-offs for housing, healthcare, and an expanded child tax credit, he acknowledged that he does not make the major decisions driving the federal platform.
Frustration Over Campaign Control and Messaging
Beyond external economic pressures, Paxton expressed profound frustration regarding his own lack of influence over his campaign strategy. In separate audio recordings from the same September fundraiser, he complained that the direction of his race was being dictated from Washington rather than by his own team. He stated that the campaign strategy was all coming from D.C.
and that he lacked the ability to change the direction of his own candidacy.
Paxton also specifically lamented the impact of President Trump’s midterm convention in Dallas, telling attendees that the event had dropped our numbers.
This loss of autonomy coincides with a massive influx of outside spending. The Republican Party has poured at least $131 million into the Texas race, with total expenditures expected to exceed $300 million. Pro-Paxton committees, including those backed by national super PACs, have taken the lead in determining the campaign’s trajectory as they attempt to keep the seat competitive.
The Competitive Race Against James Talarico
The leaked recordings arrive as Paxton is locked in a tight race against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico. Polling averages show the two candidates in a dead heat, with recent data from the FiftyPlusOne average indicating Talarico at 48.8% and Paxton at 45.1%. This competitiveness is historically significant; Texas has not elected a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since the 1980s.
Paxton’s campaign has consistently dismissed the leaks as a non-story.
In a statement provided to media outlets, spokesperson Madison Cercy argued that the attorney general was simply acknowledging the reality faced by all Texans. The attorney general said what every Texan already knows: gas and diesel prices are too high, and hardworking Texans are struggling at the pump and at the grocery store,
Cercy stated. A White House spokesperson, Taylor Rogers, added that the president remains committed to energy dominance and putting money back into the pockets of American families.
Audio Clips Complicate Trump Rally with Paxton
The release of these audio clips creates an awkward backdrop for President Donald Trump’s scheduled rally with Paxton in San Antonio this evening. Trump, who endorsed Paxton in the primary over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn despite pleas from Senate Republicans, has urged voters to support the ticket. However, the atmosphere of division created by Paxton’s nomination has complicated the party’s efforts. While Trump has promised a $5,000 Trump dividend
to adult Americans if Republicans win, recent polling shows his approval rating at roughly 38.8%, a decline analysts attribute to the cost of living, energy prices, and immigration policies.
With less than a month before the November 3 election, the party is struggling to find a compelling argument for voters disillusioned by the current economic environment. As the race enters its final weeks, analysts observe that the polling, unfavorable for both Trump and Paxton, has not improved despite the significant financial resources being poured into the state.
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