With less than three weeks until the November election, races are getting even closer in Texas. And the polls show the best chance for Democrats to flip a statewide seat is in the Attorney General’s race.
A recent survey from Clarity Campaign Labs indicates the incumbent Ken Paxton is leading in the race by 2 points against civil rights attorney Rochelle Garza. The survey shows Paxton at 48 percent and Garza at 46 percent, with 6 percent going to the Libertarian candidate.
The survey occurred the same week the Garza campaign debuted a new ad, part of a six-figure ad buy on television and digital, which blasts Paxton for his scandalous behavior as the state’s chief law enforcement officer. The ad, entitled “Cloud of Corruption,” reminds viewers that Paxton is under indictment, fired staffers after they accused him of bribery and abuse of office, and has faced calls from members of his own party to resign.
Paxton’s tenure as Attorney General has been one scandal after another. Before he took office, Paxton was indicted for felony securities fraud by a grand jury. Paxton will likely have to appear at a deposition for the case after the election.
Two years ago, several members of his staff were fired, resigned, or placed on leave after accusing Paxton of abuse of office and bribery. The whistleblowers were concerned about Paxton’s behavior with a wealthy Republican donor named Nate Paul, the founder president and CEO of World Class Holdings Company, which was raided by the U.S. Department of Treasury in 2019.
Paxton also filed a lawsuit with the Supreme Court to toss out the electoral votes of four swing states in 2020. The election denial took him to Washington, as Paxton spoke ahead of Trump at the Insurrection.
Paxton has also potentially committed an ethics violation when he classified a trip to Florida to meet with former president Trump as official business last year.
Early voting begins on Monday, October 24.
A longtime writer and journalist, Jessica was thrilled to join the Texas Signal where she could utilize her unique perspective on politics and culture. As the Features and Opinion Editor, she is responsible for coordinating editorials and segments from diverse authors. She is also the host of the podcast the Tex Mix, as well as the co-host for the weekly SignalCast. Jessica attended Harvard College, is a onetime fitness blogger, and has now transitioned to recreational runner (for which her joints are thankful).
