Ken Paxton's Senate bid imperiled by accumulating scandals as Texas race tightens unexpectedly
The Texas attorney general, despite Trump's endorsement and Republican dominance, finds himself in a dead heat against Democrat James Talarico in what pollsters call the closest statewide race in three decades.
What happened
Ken Paxton, Texas's Republican attorney general and US Senate candidate, is struggling in polling despite running in a reliably Republican state that has not elected a Democrat statewide since 1994. The Wall Street Journal reported this week that Paxton was filmed at a New Year's Eve party in Dubai in the company of an extramarital girlfriend and two men who were under indictment for federal healthcare fraud and considered fugitives from justice; one had donated $190,000 to Paxton. Paxton has faced multiple prior scandals including securities-related state prosecution (settled without admission of guilt), impeachment on abuse-of-office charges (acquitted), an alleged 2011 stock gift from a tech entrepreneur, an alleged 2013 theft of a pen, and a 2020 FBI complaint by eight staffers alleging abuse of office to benefit a real estate donor in exchange for a kitchen renovation. His wife, state senator Angela Paxton, allegedly helped him escape from someone trying to serve him with a subpoena in 2022; she filed for divorce last year on "biblical grounds." Audio clips leaked to the news media show Paxton admitting in closed-room conversations with conservative allies that he felt he had "less control over the campaign" than ever before.
Context
Paxton's struggle reflects tension between his appeal to Trump-endorsed hard-right voters and broader public skepticism about his scandals. His Democratic opponent, James Talarico, a 37-year-old former teacher and seminarian, is described by Republicans as representing progressive values opposed by the state's conservative electorate. Right-wing groups are pouring millions of dollars into the race, described as one of the most expensive Senate contests in U.S. history and critical to either party securing a Senate majority. Paxton has repeatedly declined debate opportunities, allowing his opponent's campaign to characterize him as evasive. The tightness of the race—some polls show Talarico leading—and Paxton's admission of losing campaign control suggest that the accumulation of scandals and recent reporting may be eroding his viability in a state where Republican dominance has been taken for granted.
What's disputed
Paxton and the tech entrepreneur deny the 2011 stock allocation was an illegal commission; Paxton characterized the 2013 pen incident as a security screening mix-up; Paxton and the real estate investor denied abuse-of-office allegations that led to impeachment; Paxton characterized the 2022 subpoena-evasion incident as harassment rather than obstruction. The campaign's response to the Dubai footage allegation invoked political persecution rather than addressing the substance. Whether the leaked audio clips were released by disgruntled Republicans or Cornyn loyalists is unconfirmed.