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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton claimed that the Republican midterm convention in Dallas negatively impacted his Senate campaign. In an audio clip shared by the New York Times, Paxton said, "the numbers — when we did that convention — it dropped our numbers. Everybody’s numbers dropped." The audio was recorded at a private fundraiser in Washington, D.C.
A senior adviser for Paxton, Nick Maddux, dismissed the clip as "manipulated nonsense" and pointed to polling that shows Paxton leading his opponent, Democrat James Talarico. However, Decision Desk HQ's latest polling averages show Paxton trailing Talarico by two percentage points.
The convention, featuring President Donald Trump, was intended to boost GOP candidates ahead of the November elections. Trump, whose approval ratings are low in Texas, was a keynote speaker and endorsed Paxton, despite making critical remarks about him.
NewsNation reports that Paxton's race against Talarico is considered a toss-up, with Paxton's past controversies adding to the uncertainty. Paxton was previously impeached on corruption charges but acquitted by the Texas Senate.
Political analysts suggest that the convention's impact on Paxton's campaign could influence future GOP strategies. Paxton is expected to join Trump in Denton, Texas, later this week.