Ken Paxton, the Texas Attorney General and Republican candidate for a US Senate seat, has reportedly admitted that his campaign is being controlled by outside forces in Washington DC. Mr Paxton, who was chosen by Donald Trump to run, made the comments at a private fundraising event in September.
According to an audio recording obtained by Politico, Mr Paxton stated, "I’ve never been in a race where I felt less control over the campaign and, like, what issues are going to matter because it’s all coming – you know – from D.C." He added, "I don’t control message or what we’re doing."
Mr Paxton's campaign adviser, Nick Maddux, issued a statement saying, "Campaigns don’t coordinate with Super Pacs, and that’s obviously what AG Paxton was referring to."
Mr Paxton is currently in a competitive race against progressive Democrat James Talarico. Recent polls show Mr Talarico with a small lead, with a Fox News survey placing him at 51% to Mr Paxton's 49% among likely voters. A New York Times/Siena College poll found Mr Talarico at 51% and Mr Paxton at 45% among likely Texas voters, while a Marist University poll indicated Mr Talarico had 50% and Mr Paxton 44% among registered voters.
Earlier this year, Mr Trump selected Mr Paxton to run against Mr Talarico. Mr Paxton was impeached in 2023 on allegations including bribery and abuse of public trust, but was later acquitted.