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Texas voters who backed President Donald Trump in 2024 had some not-very-nice words to describe flailing Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton.
A New York Times Opinion focus group of 12 Trump voters described Paxton as a 'crook,' 'criminal,' 'crooked,' 'amoral,' 'disgusting' and 'corrupt.'
asserted
group → sign → crook
One Republican voter summed him up bluntly: 'Womanizer.
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voter → sum → Womanizer
Asked what could make this Texas Senate race different from previous Democratic attempts to win statewide office, one conservative-leaning voter immediately answered, 'One word: Paxton.'
uncertain
voter → ask → word
'They picked the wrong candidate.
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They → pick → candidate
If they picked anybody else, they would have won,' the voter said.
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voter → pick → anybody
Another participant argued that Republican Senator John Cornyn would have beaten Democrat James Talarico, saying it would have been 'hands down' in Cornyn's favor.
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it → argue → favor
The flurry of detrimental descriptions are the latest spate of bad news for Paxton, who increasingly looks like an underdog to keep the deep red seat in the GOP column.
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who → look → column
A New York Times Opinion focus group of 12 Trump voters described Paxton as a 'crook,' 'criminal,' 'crooked,' 'amoral,' 'disgusting' and 'corrupt.'
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group → describe → crook
Some voters considering Talarico are not necessarily embracing the Democratic Party, they just don't want Paxton
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and his mistress Tracy Duhon were spotted traveling to Iceland in the midst of Paxton's campaign to become the next Republican senator in the Lone Star State
Texas operatives have begun bracing for a Talarico victory.
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operatives → consider → victory
'It's going to take a Herculean effort to hold the seat,' the GOP operative told Politico's Playbook.
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operative → go → Playbook
'The Monday morning quarterbacking is going to be biblical.'
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quarterbacking → go → ?
Paxton will blame Cornyn.
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Paxton → blame → Cornyn
Trump will blame Paxton.
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Trump → blame → Paxton
Trump should blame himself.'
Some voters considering Talarico are not necessarily embracing the Democratic Party, they just don't want Paxton.
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they → blame → Paxton
Seven of the 12 participants in the Times survey said they would have preferred Cornyn over Talarico if Cornyn had been the Republican nominee.
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Cornyn → say → Talarico
Talarico, however, was hardly unanimously embraced.
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Talarico → embrace → ?
Some voters described him as 'fresh,' 'young,' 'new' and 'inspiring,' while others were sharply critical of his social views.
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others → describe → views
One associated him with debates over same-sex bathrooms in schools, while another called him 'ineffective.'
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another → associate → him
One participant said they disagreed with Talarico's religious and social views and disliked what they saw as an emphasis on his personal morals rather than policy.
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they → say → morals
But the Paxton factor remained decisive for some.
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factor → remain → some
'I will not vote for Paxton,' one Republican voter said, describing the choice as 'horrible turmoil' because of opposition to Talarico's views but an unwillingness to support the Republican nominee.
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voter → vote → nominee
Another participant praised Talarico for appearing to avoid the negativity and finger-pointing that has come to dominate politics.
asserted
that → praise → politics
'He's actually trying to come up with solutions,' the voter said, describing him as a kind of 'fresh air.'
Yet the same voter made clear that this was not necessarily a conversion to the Democratic Party.
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was → try → Party
'There's nothing wrong with Cornyn,' the voter said.
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voter → be → Cornyn
Instead, with Talarico facing Paxton, the voter said: 'I will be voting for Talarico.'
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I → face → Talarico
This week, Talarico proposed a Fox News debate moderated by Bret Baier, declaring he was willing to take the fight onto Paxton’s 'home turf.'
While some Texas Republicans and independents may be on the fence about Paxton, he still has plenty of support within the state's Republican ranks.
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he → propose → ranks
Paxton entered the race with plenty of baggage that was hard to ignore.
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that → enter → baggage
He was impeached by the Republican-controlled Texas House in 2023 over allegations including abuse of office and improper dealings involving a wealthy donor, though he was later acquitted by the Texas Senate.
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he → impeach → Senate
He's also faced a long-running securities-fraud case that ended without a conviction.
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that → face → conviction
And his personal life has also made headlines.
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life → make → headlines
His wife filed for divorce in 2025 and accused him of adultery, an affair Paxton had previously acknowledged.
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Paxton → file → adultery
He has denied wrongdoing in the various allegations against him.
And despite all of that, Trump hasn't backed away from Paxton.
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Trump → back → Paxton
Trump endorsed him in the Republican runoff and has continued to throw his support behind him, even saying he plans to return to Texas to campaign for him ahead of November's election.
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he → endorse → election
So while some voters may be questioning Paxton, he isn't exactly standing alone.
uncertain
he → question → Paxton
Talarico is edging ahead of Ken Paxton in the latest Texas Senate polling, adding fresh fuel to an increasingly competitive race in the Lone Star State.
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Talarico → edge → State
A Texas Southern University poll of 1,800 likely voters puts the Democratic congressman at 47 percent, narrowly ahead of Republican Paxton at 46 percent, with Libertarian Ted Brown on 3 percent and 4 percent undecided.
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poll → put → percent
The Aporia
