Paxton Blames Iran War for Senate Bid Struggles in Leaked Audio
The Texas Attorney General expressed frustration that high fuel prices, stemming from the conflict in Iran, are negatively impacting his polling numbers against Democrat James Talarico.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has been recorded stating that the war in Iran is the primary obstacle to his Senate campaign, marking the third significant audio leak from his campaign in recent days. The comments were made during a private fundraising event in Washington D.C. last month.
Paxton attributed his polling difficulties against Democratic challenger James Talarico to high fuel prices, which he linked to "Operation Epic Fury," the U.S. military operation in Iran. "It's not tariffs … It's the war, it's gas prices, it's diesel," Paxton stated, according to audio obtained by Axios. He noted that with diesel prices exceeding $6 per gallon, consumers are "feeling the pinch," which in turn drives up the cost of food and other essential goods.
The Attorney General further identified cost of living concerns as "by far our biggest problem" and the reason for his campaign's struggles with voter support. When an audience member suggested he couldn't control gas prices, Paxton responded that many factors in federal races are beyond his control and that he does not make or fully understand the decisions driving them.
These remarks follow previous leaked audio recordings where Paxton voiced frustration about the influence of establishment Republicans on his campaign and criticized the Republican midterm convention in Dallas for negatively affecting his poll numbers.
According to the latest RealClearPolitics polling average, Talarico holds a 3.1 percentage point lead over Paxton. While Texas has not elected a Democratic senator since 1988, Republicans have invested heavily in Paxton's campaign, with $122 million spent last month alone, according to the Texas Tribune.
Paxton secured a victory in the May primary runoff against incumbent Senator John Cornyn, despite facing past scandals including impeachment proceedings by the Texas legislature on charges of alleged misconduct and a 2015 securities fraud indictment. He settled the fraud case in 2024, agreeing to pay restitution, complete ethics courses, and perform community service.
Some Republican operatives and Senator Cornyn have characterized Paxton's campaign as "lazy." Paxton's campaign dismissed the latest audio leak as a "non-story," asserting that the Attorney General merely reflected the concerns of Texans regarding high fuel costs. The campaign stated that Paxton's goal in Washington would be to help President Trump lower prices and return money to families.