Texan Voters Concerned About Paxton’s Ties to Trump, Fox News Poll Reveals

A new survey by Fox News reveals that the majority of Texas voters are worried about Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton’s close relationship with Donald Trump. The poll indicates this connection may benefit his Democratic rival, James Talarico. Most Texas voters view Paxton’s association with Trump as a point of concern.

On Thursday, Trump showed his support for Paxton at a rally held at the Peterbilt Motors plant in Denton, accompanied by Dennis Rodman, a former basketball star. Despite this, the poll suggests that the alliance might strengthen Talarico’s campaign. Democrats aim to capture the Texas Senate seat, an achievement last accomplished in 1988, as part of their strategy to make it difficult for Trump to pass legislation in his remaining term.

Newsweek reached out to the campaigns of Paxton and Talarico for comments via email and phone on Friday.

Fox News Poll Details

Conducted between September 24 and 28, the Fox News poll included 1,203 registered Texas voters, of whom 881 are considered likely voters. The poll’s margin of error is 2.5 percentage points.

Talarico holds a slight lead over Paxton in this survey, with 51% of support compared to Paxton’s 49%, placing him within the poll’s margin of error. Talarico has successfully garnered more support from self-identified Democrats compared to Paxton with Republicans.

Among Democrats, 99% pledged their support to Talarico; only 1% considered voting for Paxton. Meanwhile, 90% of Republicans favored Paxton, but 10% leaned toward Talarico. Particularly, 22% of Republicans who do not associate with the MAGA movement expressed support for Talarico. Paxton garnered support from 96% of MAGA Republicans, with 4% opting for Talarico.

Concerns About Trump-Paxton Relationship

The Fox News poll also uncovered that 37% of voters were “extremely concerned,” and 14% were “very concerned” about Paxton being too close to Trump. Meanwhile, 29% said they were “not at all concerned,” and 20% indicated they were “not very concerned.”

Considering the numbers overall, 51% expressed being “extremely” or “very” concerned, 48% expressed lower levels of concern, and 1% were unsure. Among non-MAGA Republicans, 39% were “extremely” or “very” concerned about the Trump-Paxton connection, while 61% were not.

Conversely, only 10% of MAGA Republicans were concerned about the relationship, and 89% were not. Additionally, 63% of Texan voters viewed Trump’s influence on Paxton’s campaign as crucial to their Senate voting decision, compared to 36% who felt otherwise.

Trump Rally Remarks

During his Denton rally speech, Trump described Paxton as “one of the most loyal people,” remembering how Paxton supported him, sometimes being “a pain in the a**.” Trump criticized Talarico, indicating that electing him would harm the state and the country. Trump asserted the need for votes and expressed confidence in winning.

Audio Leak and Known Campaign Issues

The New York Times recently released audio reportedly featuring Paxton, indicating disappointment with Trump’s midterm convention in Dallas’s effect on his campaign. In the recording, a man believed to be Paxton suggests campaign numbers dipped during the convention.

Reacting to The New York Times, Nick Maddux, a senior advisor to Paxton, labeled the report as “manipulated nonsense.” The convention took place from September 9 to 10 in Dallas at the American Airlines Center, where Trump endorsed Paxton while lightly mocking his appearance.

Candidate Controversies and Differences

Paxton triumphed over Senator John Cornyn in a heated May Republican runoff, financially supported by Trump. During the race, Cornyn labeled Paxton as “a known con man and a fraud.” Cornyn has since avoided campaigning for Paxton in the November election.

In 2023, the Texas House impeached Paxton over allegations of public trust abuse, although acquitted by the state Senate. Paxton consistently denied any wrongdoing.

Talarico similarly faced backlash for religious comments, arguing in 2021 that “God is nonbinary.” He also has differing views on AI technology and marijuana legalization from Paxton.

Recent Polling Trends

Recent polls indicate Talarico’s narrow lead over Paxton, often within the margin of error. A Rasmussen Reports survey from September 28-29 gave Talarico 46% of likely voters’ support, with Paxton receiving 45%. Another poll from Texas Public Opinion Research provided Talarico a 5-point lead.

On October 2, prediction market Polymarket assigned Talarico a 62% chance of winning, compared to Paxton’s 39%.