In a leaked audio recording from a private Washington fundraiser, Texas Attorney General and Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton admitted that Donald Trump's midterm convention in Dallas dropped polling numbers for himself and other GOP candidates. The remarks directly contradict Trump's public assertions that the event boosted Paxton. Paxton is currently locked in a tight, toss-up race against Democrat James Talarico, who leads in multiple September 2026 polls and has significantly outpaced Paxton in campaign fundraising.
The Republican midterm convention in Dallas
- ▪The Republican midterm convention was held at the American Airlines Center in Dallas on September 9-10, 2026, as a first-of-its-kind event pushed by Donald Trump to energize the party's base
- ▪Donald Trump publicly claimed on September 13, 2026, that the Republican National Committee's midterm convention in Dallas was highly successful and provided a major boost to Ken Paxton's campaign
- ▪RealClearPolitics's Generic Congressional Vote average showed a sharp rise in support for Democrats following the Republican National Committee's midterm convention in Dallas, while Republican support remained flat
Texas Senate race dynamics and funding
- ▪Ken Paxton is locked in a tight, toss-up Senate race against Democratic State Representative James Talarico, who has led Paxton in multiple September 2026 polls
- ▪Federal Election Commission filings show James Talarico's campaign raised $31.6 million, while Ken Paxton's campaign raised $9.3 million
- ▪The Senate Leadership Fund, affiliated with Majority Leader John Thune, committed $100 million to support Ken Paxton's campaign through Election Day
Donald Trump's support for Ken Paxton
- ▪Donald Trump's super PAC, MAGA Inc., has spent $20 million to fund advertisements supporting Ken Paxton's struggling Senate campaign
- ▪Donald Trump endorsed Ken Paxton in a contentious Republican primary runoff earlier in 2026, helping Paxton defeat long-time incumbent Senator John Cornyn
Ken Paxton's impeachment trial
- ▪The Defend Texas Liberty PAC threatened the political future of any Republican who voted to convict Ken Paxton during his impeachment trial
- ▪Texas State Senator Angela Paxton attended Ken Paxton's impeachment trial but was barred from voting
- ▪The Republican-controlled Texas House of Representatives adopted 20 articles of impeachment against Ken Paxton in May 2023, but the Texas Senate acquitted him in September 2023
Debatable claims
- ▪Donald Trump's Dallas convention did more harm than good for Republican midterm campaigns
- ▪Donald Trump is a political liability for Ken Paxton's Senate campaign in Texas
- ▪Ken Paxton's personal and political scandals are the primary cause of his campaign's struggles
- ▪The leaked audio of Ken Paxton represents a genuine break between Paxton and Donald Trump
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