MAGA Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton got more than he bargained for on the right-wing Newsmax network as the hosts warned him the "clock was ticking" for him to make headway in the race, which Republicans fear could result in handing the chamber over to Democratic control.
Paxton, the scandal-plagued Texas attorney general, muscled his way to the nomination by ousting longtime Sen. John Cornyn in a bruising Republican primary. He heads into the general election weighed down by baggage. He survived a 2023 impeachment, has faced years of legal troubles, and is in the middle of a messy public divorce after his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, accused him of adultery.
Appearing on National Report, host Krysia Lenzo pressed Paxton as polls show him neck and neck with opponent James Talarico.
"With all due respect, AG Paxton, I mean, when are you going to expose James Talarico?" she demanded to know, noting there are only about 80 days until the midterms. "The clock's ticking. Many are worried that this might result in the Senate going to the Democrats."
Paxton admitted it was a "great question," and bemoaned that he had to spend big on a run-off election against Cornyn that lasted until May 26.
"On the 27th, I had zero dollars left to spend," Paxton whined. "My opponent had three months — he didn't have a run-off. So he raised about $30 million, mostly out of California."
Paxton insisted his campaign has tried to rebuild its coffers over the summer, and predicted things would "start popping, potentially next week."
"It's just a matter of time," he added.
His struggles have rattled Republicans, who worry that a Paxton stumble could flip a reliably red Texas seat. Once treated as a liability by the party establishment, the embattled attorney general has become the unlikely face of the GOP's midterm anxieties.
