Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton warned that Gov. Greg Abbott is struggling in his bid for reelection, made excuses for his own campaign’s issues and acknowledged that Republicans will likely lose seats in the state Legislature, according to audio of a private donor event. Rolling Stone.
“Yes, Abbott is struggling,” Paxton told an attendee at a small Washington, D.C., fundraiser on September 24, noting that despite the governor’s name ID and monetary advantage over Democrat Gina Hinojosa, the race is “still close.”
“Damn it,” another person in the room responded, prompting Paxton to add that Abbott is in a fight for his seat, even though “he didn’t have a primary, like I had, it was brutal with all the negative ads.”
“So those are my two disadvantages. There was one — actually three: not having time to raise more money, having negative advertising, and my opponent being well-funded and famous,” Paxton says.
Found behind the scenes audio rolling stone It is part of a series of leaks from the September 24 fundraiser, which was recorded by an attendee of the event who opposes Paxton’s candidacy. In late September, audio and transcript excerpts of the meeting were provided to various media outlets. Together, they paint a picture of a candidate attempting to personally deflect blame for his weak campaign and lagging polling figures. Paxton, whom Donald Trump endorsed in the Republican primary earlier this year, is trying to prevent James Tallarico from becoming the first Democrat to win statewide office in Texas in decades.
in a statement to rolling stone, Paxton spokesperson Madison Searcy wrote: “rolling stone Scraping cherry-picked audio from a private fundraiser is nothing more than a partisan hit job, and it’s the same tired charade the left has played against Ken Paxton for years. It didn’t work even once. Republicans across Texas are united behind the Attorney General because they know what’s at stake, and no amount of selectively clipped audio is going to change that.
Throughout the recording, Paxton seems intent on convincing attendees that external factors beyond his control are to blame for his campaign struggles. He suggests that other Texas Republicans are better positioned to win than him because they did not have to endure a brutal primary and a barrage of aggressive ads, or because they are facing Democrats who are less famous than Tallarico and have less money behind them.
“Whereas the rest of the ticket — who knows the Democrats? There’s not a single one — like, if I said, ‘Who’s running for Texas AG as a Democrat?’ Okay, going down. ‘Who is running as Lieutenant Governor?’ I don’t know. I can’t even tell his name.”
Nevertheless, Paxton ultimately predicts that Republicans are “probably going to lose some seats” in the Texas legislature.
When asked specifically about Mayes Middleton – the Republican nominee to replace him as Attorney General, who defeated Paxton’s own choice, Aaron Ritz – Paxton downplayed her candidacy. “He’s probably traveling somewhere with the governor. Not that he has a lot of name ID, but he had a lot of — he spent a lot of money in the primary. And he has money, and he can spend. So, he’ll be in a better position because he can advertise.”
Paxton says Middleton – who voted to acquit Paxton could keep himself content with his personal wealth — during his 2023 impeachment. “He’s worth $850 million, so he can advertise whatever he wants, whatever he feels like from the polls.”
But it’s not like Paxton isn’t also swimming in funds. The Texas Senate race is on track to be the most expensive on record. A A staggering $445 million Over the past week, Republicans have spent $326 million between the state and national party approximately $175 million From the Democrats. If ever there was a bottomless reservoir of money to burn, it’s the Republican desire to keep Texas red. the new York Times informed This week Elon Musk alone sent $10 million to Paxton’s super PAC.
Paxton and the event attendees also discuss the convenience of straight-ticket voting, a practice in some states that allows voters to “single punch” a box to vote for each party’s candidate on the ballot without filling out the entire form. Texas banned the practice in 2017 through a law backed by Republicans, including Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, who often boosted down-ballot candidates in local races. (Ryan Patrick, Patrick’s son, a year before its passing.) narrow escape His race for district court judge in Harris County – one of the counties targeted by Republicans through repeal.)
The group jokes that in Alabama, where straight-ticket voting is allowed, given the lack of major Democratic opposition, voting “red” is basically “the only option.”
“Actually, we’ve had this for a long time,” Paxton yells. “It was changed recently. The lieutenant governor was convinced that the Democrats used it more than the Republicans. Which is probably right. But so he changed it.”
Paxton blames Patrick for ending straight-ticket voting, but as Attorney General Paxton Supported Court decisions enforcing the validity of the ban. Contemporary survey found that while state Republicans claimed the practice was the opposite of Democratic, it was almost equally common among voters of both parties.
Previous audio excerpts from the September 24 meeting show a similar pattern of blame deflection. audio received last week by cnn Paxton complained that his primary opponent – outgoing Senator John Cornyn, a fellow Republican – “frankly is not helping.”
“He wants me to lose,” Paxton says. Of course, Senate Republicans caution Paxton was a weak, scandal-plagued candidate during the primaries, which would cost the party millions of dollars to reach the finish line. in audio awarded to the new York Times, Paxton complains that the President – whose endorsement ultimately secured him the nomination – harmed his campaign by hosting an emergency Republican National Convention in Dallas in September.
“When we did that conference – it reduced our numbers. It reduced everyone’s numbers,” says Paxton. In another clip provided to axiosPaxton complains that the President’s policies – particularly the ongoing war in Iran – are adversely affecting his campaign. “It’s not tariffs…it’s war, it’s gas prices, it’s diesel,” he says. “People are feeling distressed.” Another snippet has been provided To politico, The candidate claims he has “never” been in a race where he “felt less control over the campaign and, like, what issues are going to matter because it’s all coming from – you know – DC”.
It’s all apparently in service of convincing wealthy lobbyists to throw cash at his campaign. Paxton offered some concessions, such as he said Audio provided to The Texas Tribune said Republicans would need to make “some reasonable cuts in essential spending” such as Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security.
With less than a month left until Election Day, Paxton is proving right Republicans who were worried about the possibility of the party choosing him instead of Cornyn. Yes, the President has created an economic crisis that has ruined his 2024 coalition. Yes, voters are disillusioned with blatant corruption across the government. Yes, most Americans believe the President’s harsh immigration policies have become inhumane. But scandal-plagued Paxton has been a disappointing candidate, independent of any outside factors.
he doesn’t need to run really competitive race More than a decade on, and the rigors of a competitive campaign path are as foreign to him as the notion fidelity to one wife. He spent the 4th of July weekend – the 250th anniversary of American independence – in London with my mistress. he has postpone Even the mildest tough questions from the press and his potential constituents, and Trump’s on the stump, have been so ineffective. publicly acknowledged “He may not talk quite correctly” while making other jokes at Paxton’s expense. As candidates in competitive races across the country clash with their opponents on the debate stage, Paxton yet to commit Despite three networks proposing an in-person debate against Tallarico, and there being no public listing of upcoming events or volunteer opportunities for interested parties on their website.
Paxton’s private musings suggest he is complaining about the circumstances of his candidacy, but he has only himself to blame if he loses to Tallarico to turn the Texas Senate seat blue for the first time this century.