Ken Paxton Admits Lack of Control Over Senate Campaign

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton admitted in leaked audio from a September fundraiser that outside forces in Washington D.C. control his Republican Senate campaign. Paxton stated that he does not control the messaging or the campaign's direction, noting he has never felt less control over the issues in a race.

Campaign adviser Nick Maddux disputed the implications of these comments, asserting that Paxton was referring to the influence of Super PACs rather than party leadership. The admissions follow separate leaked audio in which Paxton claimed a GOP midterm convention in Dallas, championed by Donald Trump, caused his polling numbers to drop. While Trump publicly stated the convention helped Paxton, the candidate privately described the result as not good.

Paxton is currently locked in a competitive race against Democrat James Talarico. Recent polls show Talarico holding a slight lead of 2 to 6 percentage points. The race is considered high-stakes for Republicans, who risk losing a traditionally red seat due to Paxton's history of scandals, including bribery allegations and a 2023 impeachment.