Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has come under fire for going on a European vacation, adding to concerns that he could lose his Senate race and flip the seat to Democratic rival James Talarico.
The conservative Daily Mail posted video of Paxton in Dulles Airport boarding a plane en route to Reykjavik, Iceland, alongside conservative Christian influencer Tracy Duhon. Paxton is still legally married to State Sen. Angela Paxton, but she filed for divorce last year on “biblical grounds,” citing “recent discoveries.” She also accused Paxton of adultery in a legal filing.
James Talarico, a Texas Democratic primary candidate for U.S. Senate, speaks during an event at the University of Houston on March 2, in Houston. AP
Talarico, the Democratic nominee in the Senate race, criticized the attorney general’s decision to go on vacation.
“Ken Paxton was impeached for taking bribes from donors. He became a multi-millionaire on a government salary. He takes lavish vacations in Iceland while Texans can’t afford the basics,” Talarico wrote.
The Texas Democratic Party was even more blunt about the optics of the trip.
“At a time when many Texans can barely afford to pay the rent or fill up the tank because of policies Ken Paxton supports, he’s jetting off to Iceland ahead of America’s 250th birthday for a fancy vacation with his mistress,” party spokesperson Ryan Martin said in a statement.
News of the romantic trip comes on the same day that opinion polling shows the race has become a toss-up. According to a New York Times/Siena poll of Texas voters, both candidates currently receive 47% support.
A majority of respondents said they believed Talarico had good judgement and the right moral values, while they said Paxton was “too extreme.”
In the last Senate race in Texas the Republican candidate, Sen. Ted Cruz, won by over 9 points. Paxton received the backing of President Donald Trump in the recent primary, who chose Paxton over current Sen. John Cornyn, who he had accused of disloyalty. The party’s voters sided with Trump and he cruised to victory. But Paxton was believed by many to be the weaker candidate, citing multiple scandals including his alleged infidelity and business corruption.
Related | Republicans can’t get on the same page with Talarico attacks
Republicans have tried to make up for the deficit by going after Talarico with homophobic rhetoric and the allegation that he is a vegan (he isn’t). Talarico has meanwhile focused on economic issues, including the affordability crisis, while Paxton has said the Democrat isn’t “manly” enough to serve in the Senate.
The optics of Paxton’s overseas trip at this critical moment of the campaign are not likely to help his cause.
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