DALLAS — The Republican Party descended on the Lone Star State on Wednesday for a midterm convention the GOP hopes will prop up Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a surprisingly close U.S. Senate race.
“I am so grateful you’re here,” Mr. Paxton told cheering Republicans packed into the American Airlines Arena on the first night of the two-day confab.
The GOP cavalry, dressed in cowboy hats, Trump hats, and stars and stripes, had arrived to help Mr. Paxton, whose campaign has come to symbolize the Republican Party’s struggle to hold voter support and enthusiasm amid a prolonged war in Iran, stubborn inflation and high gas prices.
The GOP is banking on two nights of speeches and programming to boost vulnerable candidates.
Mr. Paxton is at the top of the list and delivered his speech in primetime.
He used his time in the spotlight to reintroduce himself, after a bruising primary battle, as the son of an Air Force pilot who came from humble beginnings and is now running to help other Texans get ahead.
“I need your prayers, your votes, and your support. If we lose Texas, we lose the common sense revolution. If we lose the common sense revolution, we lose America,” Mr. Paxton told the crowd.
Polls show him virtually tied with Democrat James Talarico, who, according to the latest polling, is winning over independents, Hispanics, college-educated voters, women and young voters.
President Trump said boosting Mr. Paxton’s campaign is among the main goals of the first-of-its-kind convention.
“We’re going to have a lot of speakers,” Mr. Trump told Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick during a podcast earlier this month. “And the one we want to focus on will be obviously Ken Paxton. We’ve got to get him elected.”
The convention is drawing attention to a Senate race that typically would be considered a shoo-in by the Republican National Committee.
The last Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Texas was Lloyd Benson in 1988.
But Senate races in Texas have steadily become more competitive over the past two election cycles. Democrats are eager to break the nearly four-decade losing streak.
They believe Mr. Talarico, who is running a populist campaign focused on battling corruption and lowering the cost of living, can flip the seat and help the party win back the Senate majority.
Mr. Paxton is running as a Trump loyalist who faithfully backs the America First agenda. He touted his record as an attorney general who successfully battled Biden administration policies and said, if elected, he would push for more tax cuts to boost homeownership and help people pay off medical expenses.
“I will fight to preserve the American dream. James Talarico is running to destroy it,” Mr. Paxton said.
The convention kicked off amid dire warnings from race analysts who say Democrats have a real chance of reclaiming control of Congress. On Tuesday, Decision Desk Headquarters rated control of the Senate a toss-up.
In addition to the Texas Senate race, five other Senate seats are considered toss-ups, and all but one is a GOP-controlled seat.
Mr. Talarico started the general election campaign with a huge cash advantage over Mr. Paxton, who had to spend some of his money not only in the GOP primary, but in his vicious runoff battle with Sen. John Cornyn.
Mr. Cornyn spent tens of millions of dollars on advertising hammering Mr. Paxton over his alleged extramarital affairs and an ugly divorce filed by his wife, state Sen. Angela Paxton, on “biblical grounds.” The ads also targeted Mr. Paxton’s 2023 impeachment trial on charges including bribery, abuse of public trust and misappropriation of public resources, which ended in his acquittal by the state Senate.
Mr. Paxton is far behind Mr. Talarico on fundraising.
Mr. Talarico raised $72 million, compared to Mr. Paxton’s $17 million, in the third quarter.
In a clear sign that the GOP is worried about losing the seat, Mr. Trump’s MAGA Inc. PAC last week provided Mr. Paxton with a cash infusion, pouring $10 million into television and digital advertising.
Mr. Paxton debuted a new TV ad that aired during the convention. It features an AI version of Mr. Talarico blasting Christianity, promoting six genders and calling Jesus “a radical feminist.”
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