Leaked Audio Has Paxton Saying Convention Hurt His Poll Numbers

Audio obtained by The New York Times from a private Washington fundraiser last week captures Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton telling donors that after the GOP midterm convention in Dallas on 9 September, 'it dropped our numbers' and 'everybody's numbers dropped.' An attendee asked whether 'he's a little bit of a drag'; the recording does not make clear whom that referred to. The tape was made by an attendee opposed to Paxton's campaign, and three other attendees confirmed he was present. Campaign adviser Nick Maddux disputed the New York Times account, saying an internal poll from the last week had Paxton leading by three points, that numbers had improved since early September, and that Paxton would close strong alongside President Trump, including during a Texas visit that week. Trump, speaking on 13 September, called the convention 'very successful' and said it 'really helped Ken Paxton.' In Dallas he also called Paxton the greatest attorney general in America while criticizing his dress, speech, and looks. A Marist poll published 23 September, from interviews 17-20 September, showed Democrat James Talarico at 50% and Paxton at 44% among registered voters, margin of error ±4.4 points. Republican-aligned groups planned about $166 million supporting Paxton from September through Election Day, with total GOP-aligned spending on the Texas Senate race expected to exceed $300 million.