Brief
Ken Paxton blames Iran war and fuel prices for Senate poll dip
In a leaked recording from a Washington fundraiser, Paxton links the Iran conflict and soaring diesel costs to his lagging poll numbers against Democrat James Talarico.
By Felo News Desk · Published
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton told a private fundraising audience in Washington that the United States’ war with Iran and rising fuel prices are the biggest obstacles to his Senate campaign, according to audio obtained by Axios and published by the New York Post.
During the event, Paxton said, “It’s not tariffs … It’s the war, it’s gas prices, it’s diesel,” adding that diesel over $6 a gallon makes people “feel the pinch.” He linked the high cost of fuel to higher food prices and said cost‑of‑living concerns are “by far our biggest problem” for his race.
When an audience member noted he cannot control gas prices, Paxton replied that many factors in a federal race are “uncontrollable” and that he does not know what drives certain decisions.
The leak is the third audio recording of Paxton’s private frustrations released in recent weeks. His campaign has dismissed the latest clip as a “non‑story.” Polls from RealClearPolitics show Democrat James Talarico holding a 3.1‑point lead over Paxton, while the Texas Tribune reported $122 million spent on the race last month.
Key facts
- Ken Paxton said the US‑Iran war and fuel prices are the biggest problems for his Senate bid (nypost.com)
- Paxton told the audience diesel is over $6 per gallon and drives up food prices (nypost.com)
- RealClearPolitics shows Democrat James Talarico leading Paxton by 3.1 points (nypost.com)
- Paxton's campaign called the leaked audio a "non‑story" (nypost.com)
- The Texas Tribune reported $122 million spent on the race last month (nypost.com)
Sources
- [1] nypost.com — originally reported as “Ken Paxton rips into Iran war in another shocking audio leak: ‘People are feeling the pinch’”
