Texas Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton privately pointed to the Iran war and the affordability pressures it has created for voters as his campaign’s “biggest problem,” according to newly leaked audio.
Paxton made the comments at a closed-door fundraiser with donors and lobbyists in Washington, D.C., last month. Axios obtained the audio and published it Wednesday.
In the recording, Paxton tried to explain “why” his campaign was “having a hard time with numbers.” When a donor pressed him on what was “dragging on” the race, he gave a direct answer.
“It’s not tariffs… it’s the war, it’s gas prices, it’s diesel, over $6 per gallon… people are feeling the pinch,” Paxton said.
“That’s probably the biggest problem and that pushed out the food prices and everything else… So that’s by far our biggest problem,” he continued.
The remarks are a candid private assessment from a Trump-backed Republican just weeks before the midterm elections. They also come as the administration blames Russia’s war in Ukraine for the spike in fuel prices. Paxton is locked in a competitive Senate race against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico.
One donor pushed back during the exchange.
“We can’t stop the war,” the donor said.
“Right,” Paxton replied. “I have no control over gas prices. So many of the factors in this federal race are uncontrolled. I don’t make the decisions and I don’t know what’s behind some of the decisions.”
Paxton pointed to his proposed tax-cut package as one way to respond to voters’ concerns. The plan includes new housing and health care deductions along with an expanded child tax credit.
“I’m just trying to figure out ways I can help people. That’s the only way, I can propose legislation,” he said.
The Paxton campaign dismissed the recording. A spokesperson told Axios it was a “non-story.”
“President Trump is doing everything he can to bring prices down, and Ken Paxton is going to Washington to help him by putting money back in families’ pockets,” the spokesperson said.
The audio surfaced on the same day Trump is set to rally with Paxton in San Antonio. It is the second leak from the September fundraiser in a matter of days.
Two days earlier, Politico obtained separate audio from the event. In that recording, Paxton admitted he had little control over his own campaign. He complained that “it’s all… coming from D.C.” and said he had “no ability to change anything.”
“I’ve never been in a race where I felt less control over the campaign and, like, what issues are going to matter,” Paxton said in that clip. “So I have to live with whatever I’ve got. So it is a challenge.”
Taken together, the two recordings offer a rare look at how Paxton views the race behind closed doors. In both, he describes forces beyond his control shaping the contest, from fuel costs to decisions made in Washington.
His campaign, meanwhile, is keeping its message focused on the president and on cutting taxes for working families. Paxton heads into Wednesday’s rally with Trump in a tight battle for the Senate seat.
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