Two Texas women who voted for President Donald Trump told USA TODAY very different things about the Republican Senate nominee, Ken Paxton.
Tamara Berger, 56, of Seguin, has voted for Trump three times. She told the paper she was "disgusted" by the backhanded way Trump praised Paxton at last month's Republican midterm convention in Dallas, even if he was joking, according to the news report.
"Let me tell you, it's true, he may not dress right, he may not talk exactly perfectly and he may not be the best looking guy I've ever seen," Trump told the crowd. "But you know what he is? He's the greatest attorney general in America and he deserves to be your next senator."
Berger defended Paxton, calling him an "American through and through." Asked what advice she would give him for winning over undecided voters, she said, "Give me a break. Nobody is perfect."
"I don't agree with his private life, but I also don't know all the details," Berger said. "There's always two sides to a story, and that's not my place to judge. We've all had personal grievances. So has Biden. So has (Bill) Clinton. So has pretty much every other politician."
Terrie Kieper, 57, an independent from Garland, voted for Trump in 2016. She said the GOP has since become a "yes men" party for Trump, and she voted for Joe Biden in 2020 and Kamala Harris in 2024.
The former financial analyst plans to vote for Gov. Greg Abbott and other Republicans this year. But she said she's torn between the two "dirty socks" running for Senate.
"I would hate myself to give Paxton my vote because I don't trust him at all," Kieper said. "I trust him about as far as I can throw the White House, with or without a ballroom."
Paxton was impeached by the Republican-led Texas House in 2023 on bribery-related charges and later acquitted by the state Senate. His wife announced in 2025 that they were divorcing on "biblical grounds." A Texas Southern University poll from late September found 55% of likely voters view him unfavorably.
Several recent polls show Democrat James Talarico narrowly leading.