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Send us your questions for Texas Senate candidate James Talarico

2026-10-05T20:20:42.462Z / CNN

By CNN Staff

PUBLISHED Oct 5, 2026, 4:20 PM ET

Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico speaks at a rally in Eagle Pass, Texas, on July 13.

Brenda Bazán/AP

Calling all Texas Republicans, Democrats, and Independents! Are you a registered voter in Texas? Then submit questions for CNN & Jubilee’s Town Hall with James Talarico on Wednesday, October 14, and join a direct conversation with the Texas Democratic Senate candidate about the issues that matter most to you.

贵州“村超”首个海外赛区签约

2026-10-06 07:49 / 联合早报

中国国庆期间，贵州“村超”第三届国际足球赛打响。 （中新社）

中国贵州省“村超”首个海外赛区签约，将常态化举办马来西亚“村超”分赛区赛事。

据中新社报道，贵州“村超”体育产业集团与马来西亚雪兰莪华人体育会星期一（10月5日）举行战略合作签约仪式。

中国国庆期间，贵州“村超”第三届国际足球赛打响，来自南美洲、欧洲、亚洲、非洲等地的551名球员齐聚贵州省榕江县，其中，马来西亚派出两支球队参加。

根据签署的战略合作协议，双方将搭建“传播—赛事—人才”三位一体协作闭环，全方位落地本土化“大马版村超”。

在国际传播领域，借力海外新媒体平台，共建国际传播站点，打通海外传播渠道；在赛事联动方面，践行“走出去、请进来”双向原则，互派队伍参与联赛，常态化举办马来西亚“村超”分赛区赛事；在青训人才层面，建立足球教练双向交流通道，互派专业教练开展授课、实操培训，补齐榕江本地高水平青训教练不足的短板。

贵州村超传播总策划欧阳章伟表示，此次合作并非简单举办友谊赛，马来西亚赛区将完整引进整套“村超”运行理念与模式，双方以足球作为支点，带动两国文化、经济双向交流。

Independent Senate candidate Osborn: Nebraska ‘not fooled’ by Trump, Ricketts

Published 7:51 PM EDT, Mon October 5, 2026 / CNN Politics

Independent Senate candidate Osborn: Nebraska ‘not fooled’ by Trump, Ricketts

Erin Burnett Out Front

Nebraska’s Independent candidate for Senate, Dan Osborn, says Trump’s blitz of deep-red states will not land with voters. In an interview with Erin Burnett, Osborn says that Republicans “have made life exponentially harder through bad policy.”

2:22 • Source: CNN

https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/05/politics/video/ebof-nebraska-independent-senate-candidate-dan-osborn-interview-midterms-2026

‘Honored’: Talarico endorsed by group that bailed out violent criminal later accused of mass murder

2026-10-05T16:30:37-04:00 / Fox News

Shane James was released on $300 bond through the Texas Organizing Project’s Right2Justice program before allegedly killing six people

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James Talarico defends progressive policies on ‘biblical grounds’

Texas Senate nominee James Talarico said his support for universal health care and other political positions are rooted in “biblical grounds.” (Credit: X/@jamestalarico, Sept. 27)

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Democratic U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico said he was “honored” to receive the endorsement of the Texas Organizing Project, whose work he described as “irreplaceable” after the organization previously operated a charitable bail fund that helped secure the release of Shane James — later accused of carrying out a six-person killing spree.

The Texas Organizing Project (TOP), a progressive activist organization that endorsed Talarico’s Senate campaign in May, previously operated a charitable bail program that, by September 2021, had distributed more than $1 million to secure the release of more than 675 defendants across Texas.

The program drew intense scrutiny in late 2023 after authorities accused James of killing six people and records revealed that TOP had posted his bail nearly two years earlier while he faced three misdemeanor family-assault charges involving his parents and a sibling.

UNEARTHED INTERVIEW EXPOSES WHAT TALARICO THOUGHT ABOUT ‘TOUGH-ON-CRIME’ TACTICS

James cut off his court-ordered GPS monitor the day after his March 2022 release, prompting a court to issue three warrants for his re-arrest. Despite the outstanding warrants, James remained free for 21 months before authorities say he carried out a series of attacks across San Antonio and Austin that left six people dead, including his parents.

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico speaks during a campaign rally at the Cailloux Theater on Aug. 31, 2026, in Kerrville, Texas. Talarico is campaigning across the state in a close race against Republican candidate and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.(Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

TOP acknowledged after the killings that it had bailed James out in coordination with the Bexar County public defender’s office after his bond was reduced to a combined $300. The organization said James had passed its screening process based on the misdemeanor charges he faced at the time and stressed that bail organizations cannot predict defendants’ future behavior.

“We acknowledge that our assessments cannot anticipate the future actions of individuals,” TOP said following the killings, announcing that it would conduct an internal review of the program.

Talarico nevertheless enthusiastically welcomed TOP’s endorsement earlier this year.

“I am honored to earn this endorsement,” Talarico said when the group announced its backing, praising TOP for spending more than 15 years developing relationships in Black and Latino communities across Texas.

“That infrastructure is irreplaceable,” he said.

PROGRESSIVE TALARICO KNIFES BIDEN’S OPEN BORDER, TRIES MODERATING STANCE ON KEY ISSUES IN TEXAS SENATE RACE

The endorsement announcement said TOP members had met with Talarico before backing him, while the organization’s leadership said the Senate candidate had demonstrated familiarity with its work.

Talarico is challenging Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate races, as Democrats seek to break a decades-long losing streak in statewide Texas elections.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton arrives for the State of the Union address during a Joint Session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol on February 24, 2026, in Washington, DC.(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Shane James was not the only defendant released through TOP’s program who subsequently encountered additional legal trouble.

A 2024 KSAT investigation found TOP had bonded defendants out in at least 196 Bexar County cases since jail officials began specifically tracking the organization’s activity in October 2022. Warrants were later issued for defendants’ re-arrest in 58 of those cases, or nearly 30%. While failure to appear in court was the most common reason for those warrants, records showed some defendants also faced new criminal charges after TOP secured their release.

Among them was Benjamin Sanchez Jr., a convicted felon with two prior burglary convictions who TOP bonded out 11 days after his arrest in connection with the burglary of a San Antonio souvenir store. A warrant for Sanchez’s re-arrest was later issued after pretrial violations that included his arrest on new burglary charges, according to KSAT. He ultimately pleaded guilty in the two newer burglary cases and was sentenced to six years in prison.

TOP has defended its bail work as an effort to prevent low-income defendants from remaining incarcerated simply because they cannot afford bond. The organization said in 2021 that its Right2Justice campaign had spent more than $1 million to bail out more than 675 people, with the vast majority of the money distributed in Bexar County.

TALARICO HIT WITH ‘BLATANT CORRUPTION’ ALLEGATION OVER HEFTY SALARY FROM CONSULTING FIRM, CAMPAIGN PUSHES BACK

The organization’s bail advocacy also intersected with Talarico’s legislative record.

TOP opposed HB 20 during the 2021 Texas legislative session, describing efforts to restrict community bail funds as part of a “right-wing assault” on the organizations. Talarico voted against a House version of HB 20 in May 2021, according to the Texas House Journal.

The Texas State Capitol in Austin.(AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)

Talarico’s campaign pushed back on the significance of that vote in a statement to Fox News Digital, arguing that the version he opposed differed substantially from the legislation ultimately considered later in the process, and pointing to his more recent support for tougher bail restrictions.

“James will always work to keep Texans safe. That’s why he voted to deny bail for violent criminals, supports prosecuting violent felons, and backed Governor Abbott’s bill that was called the ‘strongest bail reform package in Texas history,’” Talarico campaign spokesperson JT Ennis told Fox News Digital.

“The only candidate in this race endangering women and children is Ken Paxton, who cut an Epstein-style sweetheart deal that let a pedophile back on our streets after just 29 days in jail,” Ennis added.

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The campaign pointed Fox News Digital to Talarico’s 2025 vote for part of a bail reform package championed by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. The package included a constitutional amendment expanding the circumstances under which judges could deny bail to defendants accused of certain serious violent crimes.

The campaign also argued that the 2021 House version of HB 20 that Talarico opposed contained broader provisions unrelated to charitable bail organizations, and noted criticism at the time that the proposal would continue allowing potentially dangerous defendants with sufficient money to secure their own release.

Alec Schemmel is a Politics Reporter for Fox News Digital who is originally from Charlotte, North Carolina but now resides in the Washington D.C.-Baltimore Metro Area.

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6406117608112

西伯利亚防疫研究所员工病逝 约200名密切接触者隔离

2026年10月6日 07:20 / 联合早报

俄罗斯联邦消费者权益保护和公益监督局（Rospotrebnadzor）说，研究所没有发现处理病原体时发生事故的证据。局长于上周末飞往西伯利亚召开紧急会议。 （法新社）

俄罗斯西伯利亚一所瘟疫研究所员工患病后死亡，当局隔离约200名密切接触者，并派卫生监管机构负责人赶赴当地处理。

路透社报道，俄罗斯当局星期一（10月5日）说，情况已受到控制。

世界卫生组织说，根据目前掌握的信息，事件“对一般公众构成的公共卫生风险似乎较低”；一旦获得更多信息，将进一步评估风险。

美国总统特朗普形容这起死亡事件对俄罗斯是“大问题”，并表示愿意协助俄方处理。“我们会提供帮助……任何遇到此类问题的人，我们都随时愿意伸出援手。”

美国国务卿鲁比奥则说，美国正密切关注事态发展。

根据俄罗斯媒体报道，死者是28岁的希皮洛娃（Darya Shipilova），任职于伊尔库茨克一家防疫研究所（Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East）。有关她在哪里及如何患病的报道不一，当局则说，她死于病因尚未确定的肺炎。

俄罗斯联邦消费者权益保护和公益监督局（Rospotrebnadzor）说，研究所没有发现处理病原体时发生事故的证据。此前社交媒体流传消息称，死者可能打翻装有活菌的试管，当局对此未予证实。

尽管如此，俄罗斯消费者权益保护与公益监督局局长波波娃仍于上周末飞往西伯利亚召开紧急会议。

据俄媒报道，约200名与死者接触者接受隔离，死者去世的谢列霍夫镇一家医院部分区域被封锁，一家铝厂也要求员工戴口罩。

伊尔库茨克州州长科布泽夫说，死者死于“病因不明的肺炎”，过去几天没有发现反瘟疫研究所其他员工因病求医。他说，所有已知密切接触者均已被找到，并接受医学检查与隔离观察。

瘟疫（plague）在西伯利亚属于地方性流行病，相关病菌可在当地小型野生哺乳动物及其跳蚤中传播。瘟疫共有三种主要类型，其中肺部感染可通过呼吸道飞沫传播。若及时发现，可用抗生素治疗，但未接受治疗可能在一至六天内致命。

特朗普支持率维持历史低位 西语裔选民转向民主党

2026-10-06 07:37 / 联合早报

路透社与益普索星期一（10月5日）完成的全国民调显示，32%的美国人认可特朗普的总统表现，与9月民调持平，为特朗普从政以来最低纪录。 （路透社）

美国一项最新民调显示，美国总统特朗普的支持率维持在其政治生涯最低水平，西语裔选民对其表现尤其不满，并倾向于在下个月的中期选举中支持民主党。

路透社与益普索星期一（10月5日）完成的全国民调显示，32%的受访者认可特朗普的总统表现，与9月民调持平。当时的支持率已创下特朗普从政以来最低纪录。

西语裔（Hispanic）选民曾助力特朗普赢得2024年总统选举，当年近半数西语裔选民投票给特朗普，远高于2020年大选中的约三分之一。不过，特朗普近几个月的支持度持续下滑，目前仅24%的西语裔美国人认可他的表现，是他两届总统任期以来的最低水平。

民调也显示，共和党在中期选举前面临压力。在已登记选民中，44%倾向支持民主党，37%支持共和党。独立选民中，民主党以37%对21%领先共和党，但仍有28%尚未决定投给哪一党。

西语裔登记选民中，52%计划支持民主党，只有26%支持共和党。这个差距是特朗普上台以来民主党在该族群取得的最大领先优势。

中期选举将在11月3日举行，选民将决定国会众议院和参议院的控制权。共和党正为可能的失利做准备，多名分析人士预测民主党可能重新取得众议院多数，参议院控制权也可能出现变化。

生活成本是选民目前最关注的议题。民调显示，伊朗战争导致汽油和柴油价格上涨，进一步推高消费通胀。

与此同时，共和党在年长选民中的优势也明显缩小。50岁及以上选民目前44%支持共和党、42%支持民主党，有关共和党支持率仅领先两个百分点，远低于去年12月的八个百分点。在50岁以下选民中，民主党则领先18个百分点。

这项为期六天的民调共有4506名美国成年人参与，抽样误差幅度约为两个百分点。

Retiring GOP Senator reveals his ‘WTF’ moments during the second Trump term

2026-10-05T23:02:05.123Z / CNN

By Jake Tapper, CNN

Published 7:02 PM EDT, Mon October 5, 2026

https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/05/politics/video/thom-tillis-gop-president-trump-lead-jake-tapper

Retiring GOP Senator reveals his ‘WTF’ moments during the second Trump term

The Lead

Sen. Thom Tillis joins The Lead.

1:11 • Source: CNN

House GOP bill moves to close whistleblower gaps exposed by Minnesota Medicaid fraud scandal

2026-10-05 14:08:28 EDT / Fox News

Rep Mariannette Miller-Meeks introduced the measure after 30-plus state employees reported being surveilled or fired

By Kiera McDonald, Andrew Mark Miller Fox News

Published October 5, 2026 2:08pm EDT

Lawmakers examine Medicaid oversight failures amid widespread fraud allegations

Lawmakers on a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee question Medicaid officials from California, Ohio, Minnesota, and New York regarding accusations of widespread fraud and inadequate oversight.

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FIRST ON FOX: Whistleblowers who pulled back the curtain on Medicaid fraud that allegedly cost taxpayers millions of dollars in states like Minnesota could gain new protections under a House GOP bill after alleging they faced retaliation from state leaders.

Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, unveiled the Medicaid Whistleblower Protection Act, which would establish federal protections nationwide for state and local Medicaid workers who report early warning signs of fraud, including contracting irregularities and unusual financial transactions.

“No public servant should have to choose between their conscience and their livelihood,” Miller-Meeks said in a press release exclusively obtained by Fox News Digital. “Whistleblowers who report fraud, waste and abuse in Medicaid are protecting taxpayer dollars and the vulnerable people this program is meant to serve, and they deserve real protection, not retaliation.”

The bill would prevent employers from firing, demoting, threatening, harassing or discriminating against Medicaid workers who report fraud, violations of law, gross mismanagement, abuse of authority or dangers to public health or safety.

MINNESOTA ‘TRIED TO COVER UP FRAUD ALLEGATIONS,’ FORMER STATE TROOPER ALLEGES

Gov. Tim Walz announces that he would not seek re-election on Jan. 5, 2026, at the State Capitol in St. Paul, as Minnesota confronts one of the largest social services fraud scandals in its history.(Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images)

Workers who face retaliation could also receive reinstatement, twice their back pay plus interest, attorneys’ fees and punitive damages.

The legislation follows a January letter from more than 30 current and former Minnesota Department of Human Services employees highlighting a “pattern of retaliation” for flagging fraud as early as 2019, with some alleging they faced surveillance, investigations, reassignment and termination.

“I will fight to make sure the people willing to tell the truth are protected, not silenced.” Miller-Meeks said.

Several Republican lawmakers grilled Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison in March over the letter and rampant fraud in the state, questioning when they first learned about the schemes and allegations of retaliation.

When pressed on the retaliation claims, Walz said he was “not specifically” aware of them and repeatedly declined to address the allegations. The fraud involved more than $90 million in alleged fraudulent claims tied to multiple state-funded assistance programs.

WALZ REMOVES TOP MINNESOTA OFFICIAL ON EVE OF ‘GAUNTLET’ HEARING OVER FRAUD SCANDAL

Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, attends a news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center after a meeting of the House Republican Conference on Dec. 16, 2025.(CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Minnesota state Rep. Kristin Robbins, chair of the House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee, backed the bill, saying politicians and agency leaders target whistleblowers to protect “their political base.”

“The federal, state and county workers who run these programs are often the first to see red flags, but, as we have seen time and again in Minnesota, if they dare to point it out, they are called racist, accused of creating a hostile work environment, demoted, reassigned or otherwise harmed personally and professionally,” Robbins said.

The bill is one of 14 measures in House Energy and Commerce Republicans’ “Continuing the Fight Against Fraud” package, led by Chairman Brett Guthrie, R-Ky. The package aims to detect fraud more easily, recover improper payments and increase accountability.

Another measure in the package led by Miller-Meeks,the WALZ Act, would require the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General to open investigations into any program that sees a 10% or greater increase in total payments over any six-month period within a fiscal year.

WHITE HOUSE PUSHES ‘WATERSHED’ FRAUD-FIGHTING REFORM IN CONGRESS AS VANCE CONVENES TASK FORCE

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison testifies before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Feb. 12, 2026.(Graeme Sloan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Guthrie blamed oversight failures under the Biden administration for allowing fraud to “go unchecked in government health programs.”

“Every dollar stolen by fraudsters or wasted on improper payments is a dollar taken away from supporting families in need who rely on these programs,” he said.

The legislation would take effect Jan. 1, 2028, amid the Trump administration’s continued crackdown on fraud through an anti-fraud task force led by Vice President JD Vance.

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Fox News Digital reached out to Walz’s and Ellison’s offices for comment.

Kiera McDonald is a Production Assistant for Fox News Digital.

Trump rallies in city where alleged MS-13 ‘assassination squad’ leader was busted

The president will campaign alongside Sen. Pete Ricketts and Gov. Jim Pillen ahead of the midterm elections

October 5, 2026 3:25pm EDT / Fox News

By Louis Casiano

Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Fla., calls on the Trump administration to prioritize the deportation of gang members and criminals on ‘America Reports.’

President Donald Trump is heading to Nebraska on Monday to campaign for Republicans in the same city where federal authorities last year captured an alleged MS-13 hit squad leader wanted for four murders in Honduras.

Trump will headline a rally in Grand Island alongside U.S. Sen. Pete Ricketts and Gov. Jim Pillen as part of a multi-state swing ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.

Located 150 miles west of Omaha, Grand Island drew national attention last year following the arrest of 33-year-old Gerson Emir Cuadra Soto, known by the alias “Fantasma.” Authorities allege Cuadra Soto headed “El Combo,” an MS-13 assassination squad, and faces four homicide charges in Honduras.

TRUMP CAMPAIGN INSIDER REVEALS STRATEGY BEHIND MIDTERM BLITZ THAT WHITE HOUSE HOPES PAYS OFF BIG

Gerson Emir Cuadra Soto, 33, aka “Fantasma,” was taken into custody in the Omaha area on immigration-related charges. Authorities said Soto is an MS-13 leader with close ties to other gang leaders.(Hall County Department of Corrections; Getty Images)

“The arrest of this MS-13 gang member wanted for murder in Honduras is just one example of the criminals President Trump has removed from Nebraska’s communities,” White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital. “Radical Democrats allowed criminals to pour into our country, released them unvetted into American communities, and now they want to abolish ICE.”

Officials say Cuadra Soto entered the U.S. illegally in 2022 via the southern border and later obtained a California driver’s license.

Honduran authorities suspect him in the July 2022 ambush near a Tegucigalpa nightclub that killed four men, including Said Lobo Bonilla, son of former Honduran President Porfirio Lobo Sosa.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SAYS FEDERAL AUTHORITIES HAVE ARRESTED MORE THAN 10,000 SUSPECTED GANG MEMBERS

President Donald Trump is holding a rally Monday in Grand Island, Nebraska, the same town where Gerson Emir Cuadra Soto, 33, known by the alias “Fantasma,” was captured last year. Soto is the alleged leader of an MS-13 assassination squad and is wanted for four murders in Honduras, including the 2022 killing of Said Lobo Bonilla, the son of former Honduran President Porfirio Lobo Sosa(Getty Images; Department of Homeland Security)

According to an unsealed federal affidavit, Cuadra Soto fled Honduras after the killings. He and two co-defendants were initially released from local custody after paying $125,000 in bribes to government officials.

Bis argued that Democratic policies have hamstrung federal law enforcement, contrasting that with the administration’s approach. “In sharp contrast, President Trump supercharged law enforcement to arrest the worst of the worst,” Bis said, attributing the policies to significant drops in violent crime.

Sen. Pete Ricketts speaks during a “Federal Issues Forum” at the Nebraska State Fair, Monday, Aug. 31, 2026 in Grand Island, Nebraska.(Omaha World-Herald via Getty Images)

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Ricketts, a former Nebraska governor, is seeking to hold his Senate seat against independent challenger Dan Osborn, who has drawn backing from state Democrats.

Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to louis.casiano@fox.com.

Paxton vents over lack of campaign control as DC establishment he once battled comes to his aid

2026-10-05T13:12:49-04:00 / Fox News

Former Paxton foes now fighting to keep Texas red as Talarico holds narrow lead

By Paul Steinhauser, Fox News

Published October 5, 2026 1:12pm EDT

Texas GOP U.S. Senate nominee Ken Paxton discusses the impact of the 2026 RNC midterm convention and his Democratic opponent James Talarico seemingly distancing himself from past views on ‘Hannity.’

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A source in Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s political orbit tells Fox News Digital that the Republican Senate nominee appears frustrated with a lack of control over his campaign as he faces off against Democratic nominee state Rep. James Talarico in a combustible Senate battle.

The source spoke on Monday after Politico reported on an audio recording from late last month, when Paxton said, “I’ve never been in a race where I felt less control over the campaign and, like, what issues are going to matter because it’s all coming — you know — from D.C.”

The faceoff in red-leaning Texas between Paxton and Talarico is a race to succeed longtime Republican Sen. John Cornyn, who Paxton defeated in a bruising primary fight. The contest is one of roughly a dozen that will determine if the GOP holds onto its Senate majority in the midterm elections.

“I don’t control message or what we’re doing… I don’t have ability to change anything,” Paxton added on the audio recording. “So I have to live with whatever I’ve got. So it is a challenge.”

WHAT THE LATEST FOX NEWS POLL IN TEXAS SHOWS

Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks during the Republican Midterm Convention at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Sept. 9, 2026.(Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Paxton made the comments, according to the report, during a Sept. 24 lunch in the nation’s capital hosted by a D.C.-based lobbying firm. Politico reported it obtained the recording from a person attending the lunch who does not support Paxton.

“Campaigns don’t coordinate with super PACS and that’s obviously what AG Paxton was referring to,” Paxton campaign advisor Nick Maddux told Fox News Digital in a statement.

Super PACs and other outside groups are legally prohibited from directly coordinating with candidates and campaigns over spending and other expenditures.

Maddux added, “AG Paxton is thankful for the support and knows how important Texas is to keeping the majority, which is why he’s on the ground every day talking to Texas, raising money, and taking his message directly to the people including with his statewide television buy that started over this past weekend.”

WHO’S UP AND WHO’S DOWN IN THE LATEST FOX NEWS MIDTERM POWER RANKINGS

Republican Sen. John Cornyn speaks to reporters after losing his bid for renomination to Attorney General Ken Paxton, in Austin, Texas, on May 26, 2026.(Eddie Seal/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Paxton’s frustration at the lunch appeared to extend beyond his lack of control over outside spending. In a separate recording from the same gathering obtained by The New York Times, Paxton suggested last month’s GOP midterm convention in Dallas had hurt Republican candidates’ polling.

“Dropped our numbers. Everybody’s numbers dropped. Right now, yeah, not good,” Paxton said.

Maddux described the reporting as “manipulated nonsense.”

As he campaigned against Cornyn in the March primary and a May runoff, Paxton characterized the senator as a “Washington insider” and a “RINO” — which stands for “Republican in name only.” And Paxton, known as a MAGA firebrand, showcased his outsider credentials and support for President Donald Trump. The president made an 11th-hour endorsement of Paxton ahead of the runoff.

Paxton, meanwhile, repeatedly criticized Cornyn for being bankrolled by the D.C. Republican establishment.

“I think John spent $100 million. What a waste of money. That money should have been going to Republicans in other states, not fighting another Republican,” Paxton told Fox News Digital in Waco, Texas, on the eve of the March primary.

Groups aligned with Cornyn vastly outspent pro-Paxton groups during the primary campaign to run spots highlighting the Texas attorney general’s political baggage.

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Paxton has faced a slew of scandals and legal problems that have battered him over the past decade, including a 2023 vote by the Texas House of Representatives to impeach him. Paxton was eventually acquitted of all charges by the state Senate. Paxton is also currently dealing with a contentious divorce, with his wife citing “biblical grounds” based on “recent discoveries” as she filed last year to end their marriage.

Cornyn, who was supported by Senate Majority Leader John Thune and the National Republican Senatorial Committee, regularly argued that if Paxton won the nomination, the party would be forced to spend millions of dollars to keep the seat from flipping and that Republicans down-ballot would suffer.

Now, many of those groups that targeted Paxton during the primary are spending big bucks to try and save the Senate seat. A projection from the ad-tracking firm AdImpact estimates that up to $850 million will be spent in the race.

“The same people who tore him down earlier this year are now trying to rebuild him,” the Paxton source told Fox News Digital.

The source added that Paxton “genuinely doesn’t like the DC people.”

The latest Fox News poll in the race, conducted Sept. 24-28, showed Talarico with a slight 51%-49% edge over Paxton.

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Democratic Senate nominee state Rep. James Talarico speaks during a campaign rally at the Cailloux Theater on Aug. 31, 2026, in Kerrville, Texas.(Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

And the race in Texas, along with Senate showdowns in Ohio, Michigan, Maine, Iowa, and Alaska, is rated a toss-up in the most recent Fox News Power Rankings.

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The Paxton source said that the candidate appears to be in uncharted territory.

Pointing to Paxton’s ballot box victories as a state lawmaker and his 2014 election and 2018 and 2022 re-elections as state attorney general, the source said, “I don’t think he’s ever been in a campaign situation where he’s been the underdog.”

Paul Steinhauser covers the national campaign trail from coast to coast for Fox News