Texas Attorney General and Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton recently admitted in a leaked audio recording that he lacks control over his own campaign efforts, The New Republic reports. This recording, which surfaced on Monday, features Paxton speaking at a fundraiser in September about the difficulties he faces as he trails behind his opponent.

The candidate expressed his frustration regarding the lack of influence he maintains over his own platform. “I’ve never been in a race where I felt less control over the campaign and, like, what issues are going to matter because it’s all coming—you know—from D.C.,” he stated during the event.

He further emphasized his lack of agency by saying, “I don’t control the message or what we’re doing.” He added, “I don’t have ability to change anything,” and concluded that, “So I have to live with whatever I’ve got. So it is a challenge.”

An attendee at the fundraiser, however, confirmed the authenticity of the recording. While speculation might arise about who exactly is dictating the campaign strategy, one attendee clarified that Paxton did not specifically name the team of President Donald Trump. Nick Maddux, who serves as an adviser to the campaign, claimed that Paxton was merely referencing the reality that campaigns cannot coordinate with super PACs.

According to recent quarterly filings submitted to the Federal Election Commission, Democratic candidate James Talarico has managed to raise $31.6 million. In comparison, Paxton has only brought in $9.3 million. This funding gap is certainly showing up in the numbers, as a poll from the New York Times and Sienna found that Paxton is currently six points behind Talarico.

Leaked audio of Ken Paxton desperately trying to distance himself from Trump:

"I’ve never been in a race where I felt like I had less control over a campaign… I don’t have the ability to change anything… Make sure that we are maximizing every cent so that people understand the difference between him and me"

— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) October 5, 2026

(Read more from “Ken Paxton is Trailing in the Texas Senate Race. Then a Secret Recording Exposes Who is Actually Running His Campaign: ‘I Don’t Control the Message’” HERE)

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