Ken Paxton, the Texas Attorney General and Republican Senate candidate, said in an audio clip that the Trump‑led midterm convention held in Dallas on September 9 and 10 had hurt his campaign. Paxton told a group of conservative donors and lobbyists that the convention had “dropped our numbers” and that “everybody’s numbers dropped,” implying the event had a negative effect on his polling.
Paxton faces Democratic challenger James Talarico, a state lawmaker who has raised more money and performed strongly on the campaign trail. A senior adviser, Nick Maddux, dismissed the audio as “manipulated nonsense” and cited a recent poll showing Paxton ahead by three points, claiming the numbers had improved since early September. Maddux also said Paxton would win the race and that he looked forward to a strong partnership with President Trump.
Trump has publicly defended the convention, saying it “really helped Ken Paxton” and that Paxton is “the greatest attorney general in America”. He also announced a $20 million contribution from his MAGA Inc. super‑PAC to aid Paxton’s campaign against Talarico. The convention, dubbed “Trumpapalooza”, faced logistical problems, including empty seats, technical glitches, and a clash with the NFL season’s opening games.
Polling data after the event showed Democrats at 50.5 percent and Republicans at 42.1 percent, a rise from 48.1 percent for Democrats two days before the convention. Some analysts suggest the event may have unexpectedly benefited the opposition, despite its intended Republican focus.
