Ken Paxton admitted ‘everybody’s numbers dropped’ after GOP midterm convention: report

Ken Paxton admitted ‘everybody’s numbers dropped’ after GOP midterm convention: report

September 30, 2026 / Liam Redmond /



Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican candidate for Senate from the Lone Star State, privately told a group of conservative donors and lobbyists that GOP polling numbers suffered as a result of the party’s much-hyped midterm convention in Dallas earlier this month.

“To be honest with you, the numbers — when we did that convention, it dropped our numbers. Everybody’s numbers dropped,” Paxton told the gathering last week, according to audio obtained by the New York Times. “Right now, yeah, not good.”

Paxton is locked in a tight battle with State Rep. James Talarico, who is trying to be the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Texas since 1988. Talarico currently leads Paxton by 2.9 percentage points according to the RealClearPolitics polling average.

Texas Republican Senate candidate and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks on stage on the first day of the 2026 Republican National Convention at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026. Getty Images
Vice President JD Vance points to President Donald Trump at the Republican convention Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in Dallas. AP Photo/Alex Brandon
Laurie Buckhout, candidate for U.S. House of Representatives in North Carolina’s 1st district, left, speaks with U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, during the second day of the Republican National Committee midterm convention at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. AFP via Getty Images

Paxton campaign adviser Nick Maddux described the story as “more manipulated nonsense from The New York Times to create a story that doesn’t exist. Our latest poll from the last week has Ken Paxton leading by three points, and every serious pollster will tell you that our numbers have improved since early September. Ken Paxton is going to win this race, and he looks forward to closing strong alongside President Trump including when he comes to Texas this week.”

Trump is scheduled to appear at a Peterbil Motors facility in Denton, Texas Thursday, part of his closing push to get Republican candidates elected and keep control of the House and Senate.



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Liam Redmond

As an editor at Forbes Europe, I specialize in exploring business innovations and entrepreneurial success stories. My passion lies in delivering impactful content that resonates with readers and sparks meaningful conversations.

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