Ken Paxton warns donors of campaign funding gap before early voting

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sent a letter to campaign donors warning of a major spending disparity in his United States Senate race against Democratic opponent, Representative James Talarico. The Washington Examiner reported that Paxton requested financial help to close the fundraising gap just before early voting begins, noting that he is trailing in opinion polls. [1][8]

In his donor memo, Paxton cited the difficulty of uniting Republican voters after a difficult primary runoff, in which he defeated Senator John Cornyn following an endorsement from President Donald Trump. Paxton stated that his campaign urgently needs an infusion of cash. Separately, MSNBC reported that the Republican Party faces candidate favorability issues with deeply unpopular nominees in critical states. [1][3]

The Washington Examiner and CNN both reported that Donald Trump stated he has no regrets about endorsing Paxton for the Senate, despite leaked audio in which the candidate discussed campaign difficulties. The Washington Examiner further reported that Trump spoke at a rally for Paxton in San Antonio on Wednesday, where the president was repeatedly interrupted by protesters whom he dismissed as paid demonstrators. Fox News reported that Paxton led the crowd at the rally in a chant directed at Talarico. [1][4][5][6][7]

According to reports by The Texas Tribune, leaked audio revealed that Paxton privately suggested cutting federal benefit programs to reduce the national deficit. The news outlet reported that Paxton privately attributed his campaign struggles to gas prices and the war in Iran. [2]

Paxton has served as the attorney general of Texas since 2015 and previously served in the Texas House of Representatives and the Texas Senate. He earned a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1991. [8][10]