Source: Politics<\/p>\n
National Republicans have spent months trying to rescue Ken Paxton. He\u2019s complicating that effort.<\/p>\n
Tensions are brewing with some Republicans after POLITICO published Paxton\u2019s closed-door comments that \u201cD.C.\u201d Republicans were largely controlling his race<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is welcome to raise his own money and say whatever he wants,\u201d said one Republican involved in the Paxton rescue effort, who like others in this article was granted anonymity to speak candidly. \u201cIn fact, if he did that, he\u2019d probably be winning right now and we wouldn\u2019t need to spend all this money.\u201d<\/p>\n Senate Republicans and top operatives didn\u2019t want to be in this position in the first place. Many had warned that the Trump effort to unseat Sen. John Cornyn and back Paxton in the primary would cost Republicans hundreds of millions to drag Paxton across the finish line in the general election. Cornyn and Senate GOP groups spent millions of dollars on ads during the primary attacking Paxton over his series of scandals and warning he was a flawed candidate.<\/p>\n Since then, the usual crowd of never-Paxton types has expanded into a wider circle of frustrated Republicans who are irked by the effort it\u2019s taking to boost the scandal-plagued Senate candidate. And Paxton saying he doesn\u2019t control his campaign messaging \u2014 alongside his remarks that President Donald Trump\u2019s midterm convention hurt him politically<\/a> \u2014 isn\u2019t helping.<\/p>\n Paxton also complained about the drag of the Iran war and high prices on his campaign in another closed-door recording that Axios published Wednesday<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cBeggars can\u2019t be choosers. He can try to raise federal money at a level that is necessary to save his candidacy at this point but his arms don\u2019t reach that high,\u201d said a Texas-based GOP consultant who\u2019s closely monitoring multiple races. \u201cAs usual, he communicates something that is unhelpful, that is undisciplined, that is politically self-harmful and like most things, lacks any gratitude whatsoever.\u201d<\/p>\n The top Senate GOP super PAC, Trump\u2019s aligned MAGA Inc. operation and other Republicans are pumping more than $200 million<\/a> into the race to salvage Paxton\u2019s campaign against Democrat James Talarico. Trump allies say they have worked hard to shore up Paxton, suggesting they\u2019ve pushed donations toward the campaign and the larger GOP Super PAC effort to avoid disaster in the Lone Star state. Trump plans to travel to Texas for the second time Wednesday to boost Paxton.<\/p>\n Paxton allies have brushed off his latest closed-door comments, saying he was referring to GOP super PACs he\u2019s not allowed to coordinate with as a candidate.<\/p>\n The Paxton campaign did not respond to a request for comment, though campaign adviser Nick Maddux said in response to POLITICO\u2019s initial report<\/a> of the audio that \u201cAG Paxton is thankful for the support and knows how important Texas is to keeping the majority which is why he\u2019s on the ground every day.\u201d<\/p>\n But another Republican, a Trump ally working on the fundraising effort, said the national intervention isn\u2019t overstepping. That person said the messaging guidance from the national GOP is standard for major Senate races and that Paxton \u201cneeds the help.\u201d<\/p>\n One national GOP operative involved in the Texas Senate race noted that the attorney general’s lackluster fundraising early on left him vulnerable to Talarico\u2019s attacks throughout the summer \u2014 especially over Paxton\u2019s series of \u201cself-inflicted\u201d scandals, which have made him \u201ctoxic\u201d with key voting blocs in the deep red state.<\/p>\n \u201cWe warned them about this,\u201d the GOP operative said.<\/p>\n The Texas Senate race has sucked up oxygen, despite Trump winning the state in 2024 by double digits. And, the Senate map has kept expanding as Democrats have made gains in other typically red states, forcing Republicans to make critical decisions about where to allocate resources.<\/p>\n Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Republicans have said there are dedicated donors<\/a> who are backing their effort to help Paxton, as they also try to shore up red seats across the map.<\/p>\n Paxton, in the September meeting with donors, acknowledged Washington\u2019s influence.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve never been in a race where I felt less control over the campaign \u2026 it\u2019s all coming \u2014 you know \u2014 from D.C.,\u201d Paxton told donors during a small fundraising event last month, according to the audio.<\/p>\n Top GOP officials have tried to downplay Paxton\u2019s comments. The White House referred POLITICO to the RNC when asked for comment. The RNC argued Paxton, in the audio, was referring to the super PACs he can\u2019t coordinate with as a candidate.<\/p>\n “This is fake news nonsense mixed with lazy reporting demonstrating a clear ignorance about how super PACs work. President Trump has called Ken Paxton the single greatest attorney general in history and has been clear he will do whatever it takes to make him the next senator from Texas,\u201d RNC spokesperson Zach Kraft said in a statement.<\/p>\n Trump, when speaking to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, said he hadn\u2019t seen Paxton\u2019s latest comments. He added that his midterm travel blitz has helped Paxton and other Republican candidates.<\/p>\n \u201cKen\u2019s doing much better now that I \u2014 everybody is \u2014 since starting three, four days ago, since starting the rallies. It\u2019s brought a whole new awareness to how great the Republicans are doing, how great the economy is doing,\u201d Trump said, touting investments and manufacturing.<\/p>\n The president last week traveled to Texas and told the crowd that Paxton is a \u201cpain in the ass sometimes\u201d and later acknowledged he\u2019s \u201ca little controversial.” But, he also warned the Texas crowd that Talarico would be \u201csuch a horror to your state,\u201d adding, \u201cwe need the votes and I’m here for that, and I think we’re going to win.\u201d<\/p>\n Vance also traveled to Texas, where he called Paxton \u201camazing attorney general and your next senator.\u201d<\/p>\n Still, other Republicans have simply grown resigned to the state of the race, with Paxton needing all the aid he can get.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is only so much we can do,\u201d one senior Senate GOP aide said. \u201cAnd I feel like we\u2019re doing a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n The Paxton campaign told POLITICO it raised $18 million<\/a> in the third quarter across the campaign and his joint fundraising committees. That\u2019s roughly double his second-quarter total, though the campaign did not provide its cash-on-hand numbers, and Talarico has yet to release his fundraising haul.<\/p>\n Paxton also announced a $20 million ad buy<\/a> last week \u2014 a significant single media investment in the race. But he\u2019s had to rely heavily on Trump, MAGA Inc. and the top Senate GOP super PAC to bail him out.<\/p>\n Republicans have largely leaned on the Senate Leadership Fund, rather than the Trump-aligned MAGA Inc. super PAC, to keep Paxton afloat. SLF is spending a Texas record-breaking $131 million sum through Oct. 12 and has pledged to continue to spend more through the final weeks of the election.<\/p>\n