Ken Paxton’s Leaked Fundraiser Remarks and Their Political Fallout

At a private donor gathering in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 24, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton told attendees that Gov. Greg Abbott was “struggling” for re-election and that his own Senate campaign faced three disadvantages: insufficient time to raise money, negative ads, and a well-funded, well-known opponent. The recordings were obtained by an attendee who opposes Paxton and have been released to multiple outlets.

HuffPost

The 2024 Texas U.S. Senate race pits Paxton, who secured Donald Trump’s endorsement after defeating Sen. John Cornyn in a primary runoff, against Democrat James Talarico. The contest follows a 2017 repeal of straight-ticket voting—supported by Republicans such as Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick—which Paxton blames for altering voter dynamics. The race is the most expensive Senate contest in Texas history, with $445 million spent to date: $326 million from Republican sources and roughly $175 million from Democrats. Billionaire Elon Musk contributed $10 million to Paxton’s Super PAC.

Rolling Stone

• Total spending: $445 million (Republicans $326 million, Democrats $175 million).

Rolling Stone

• Elon Musk’s contribution: $10 million to Paxton’s Super PAC.

Rolling Stone

• Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid together represent roughly 75 % of mandatory federal spending (CBO).

Texas Public Radio

• Ken Paxton told Houston Public Media he will protect Social Security, citing statements made on Sept. 1.

Texas Public Radio

• “Rolling Stone combing through cherry-picked audio from a private fundraiser is nothing more than a partisan hit job… Republicans across Texas are united behind the Attorney General because they know what’s at stake,” — Madison Cercy, spokesperson for Paxton.

Rolling Stone

• Nick Maddux, senior advisor to Paxton, said, “Every serious pollster will tell you that our numbers have improved since early September.”

Newsweek

• “So those are my two disadvantages. One was — three, actually: not having time to raise more money, having the negative ads, and my opponent is well-funded and well-known,” — Ken Paxton

Rolling Stone

• “When we did that convention — it dropped our numbers. Everybody’s numbers dropped,” — Ken Paxton

Rolling Stone

• “We have to solve the national debt while keeping the promises we made to everyone who paid into these programs,” — Ken Paxton

Texas Public Radio

Polling on the Paxton-Talarico contest shows divergent results. A UMass Lowell poll (interviews Sep 18-28, 850 likely voters) found the candidates tied at 45 % each, while a YouGov poll (Sep 28-Oct 5, 3,625 likely voters) reported 50 % support for Talarico and 44 % for Paxton. The audio’s authenticity has not been independently verified by all outlets, and the full context of Paxton’s remarks remains limited to excerpts released by donors and media partners.

Newsweek

The Senate election is scheduled for next month, with both campaigns intensifying fundraising and outreach. Paxton’s campaign has pledged to avoid cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, while opponents argue fiscal restraint will require spending reductions. The outcome will determine whether Texas retains its long-standing Republican Senate representation or flips the seat to a Democrat for the first time in decades.

Texas Public Radio