Texas Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton told private donors that President Donald Trump’s midterm convention in Dallas depressed polling numbers for himself and other Republican candidates ahead of the November elections, according to audio published by the New York Times.
Paxton made the comments during a private Washington gathering of conservative donors and lobbyists. In the recording shared by an attendee who opposes his campaign, an unidentified participant asked if Trump was acting as a drag on the party.
“So to be honest with you, the numbers — when we did that convention — it dropped our numbers. Everybody’s numbers dropped. Right now, yeah, not good,” said Paxton, who serves as the Texas Attorney General.
The private assessment contrasts sharply with public statements made by Trump following the Sept. 9–10 event in Dallas. Trump told reporters in Ireland on Sept. 13 that the convention was successful and beneficial to the Texas candidate.
“I think the fact that we had such a successful convention really helped Ken Paxton. He was a big part of it,” Trump said at the time. “And look, I mean, he was a great attorney general. Ken Paxton was a great attorney general, and continues to be, and I think that counts for a lot.”
Campaign Disputes Leaked Audio
Paxton campaign adviser Nick Maddux strongly disputed the report, characterizing the audio release as politically motivated.
“This is more manipulated nonsense from The New York Times to create a story that doesn’t exist,” Maddux said in a statement. “Our latest poll from the last week has Ken Paxton leading by three points, and every serious pollster will tell you that our numbers have improved since early September. Ken Paxton is going to win this race, and he looks forward to closing strong alongside President Trump including when he comes to Texas this week.”
Trump is scheduled to appear at a Peterbilt Motors facility in Denton, Texas, as part of a closing campaign push to support Republican candidates and maintain control of the House and Senate.
Tight Race Against James Talarico
Paxton is locked in a competitive Senate race against State Rep. James Talarico, who is attempting to become the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Texas since 1988. A Marist poll published in late September showed Talarico at 50% and Paxton at 44% among registered voters, while other averages reflected a closer contest.
Despite controversies surrounding his campaign — including a bitter primary victory over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and impeachment proceedings in 2023 from which he was acquitted — major Republican groups continue to heavily finance his bid. The Senate Leadership Fund, affiliated with Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), has committed $100 million to support Paxton’s candidacy through Election Day.
As both campaigns enter the final stretch before November, political analysts are closely monitoring whether regional events and national figures will influence voter turnout in the traditionally red state.
