Ken Paxton Blames Iran War for Poor Senate Polling
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton privately attributed his trailing poll numbers to rising fuel costs and the war in Iran during a leaked fundraiser.
Leaked audio from a September 24 fundraiser in Washington, D.C., reveals that Ken Paxton, the Texas Attorney General and U.S. Senate candidate, privately blamed the war in Iran and surging fuel costs for his poor polling performance. In the recordings obtained by Axios, Paxton told donors and lobbyists that diesel prices exceeding $6 per gallon have triggered an affordability crisis and increased food costs, calling this the campaign's "biggest problem."
This recording is the third leak from the same event. Previous audio obtained by Politico and The New York Times captured Paxton complaining that a midterm convention in Dallas damaged his numbers and that the White House controls his campaign messaging. Paxton is currently trailing his Democratic opponent, James Talarico, in the polls.
The leaks emerge as President Donald Trump prepares to campaign for Paxton in San Antonio on Wednesday. A spokesperson for the Paxton campaign dismissed the recordings as a "non-story," stating the candidate was merely acknowledging existing economic struggles. The Republican National Committee defended Paxton by contrasting his record with the policy positions of Talarico.
