Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general selected by Donald Trump as the Republican nominee for a U.S. Senate seat, made private remarks at a September fundraising event suggesting his campaign is significantly influenced by forces outside his direct control based in Washington, D.C. In an audio recording obtained by Politico, Paxton stated he had never experienced a race where he felt such limited authority over campaign decisions and messaging priorities.
Paxton’s campaign adviser Nick Maddux characterized the remarks as references to external political action committees rather than direct campaign coordination, which would violate federal law. Maddux stated that Paxton remains actively engaged in his candidacy through fundraising and grassroots outreach, including a recently launched statewide television advertising campaign.
The race pits Paxton against Democrat James Talarico, a political newcomer, in what is being framed as an opportunity for Democrats to contest Texas’s longtime Republican-held Senate seat. Recent polling indicates a highly competitive contest, with multiple surveys showing Talarico with narrow leads ranging from 2 to 7 percentage points.
Paxton’s latest reported concerns about external influence represent the second instance of public criticism regarding outside involvement in his campaign. Previously, the New York Times reported that Paxton attributed a decline in his polling numbers to the Republican National Convention’s impact. Maddux disputed that characterization, describing the reporting as inaccurate. Paxton has served as Texas attorney general for years but has faced significant controversies, including a 2023 impeachment on allegations of bribery and abuse of public trust, from which he was later acquitted.
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