Rove, a former advisor to President George W. Bush, said Paxton's baggage is dragging down his Senate campaign against Talarico, a former state representative. He pointed to allegations raised during Paxton's 2023 impeachment trial in the Texas Legislature, including claims of multiple girlfriends and $200,000 in home improvements tied to a businessman Rove described as corrupt.
"If John Cornyn were the nominee, this race would be over," Rove said.
Rove also took aim at Talarico, saying the Democrat has made statements of his own that raise concerns, touching on transgender athletes in sports, gender expression, and the oil and gas industry.
The comments land as Texas Republicans weigh who gives them the best shot at holding the Senate seat. For Paxton, it is another instance of a prominent party figure questioning his electability rather than backing his campaign outright.
Rove didn't finish his sentence about the corrupt business favors before the excerpt cut off, leaving exactly how deep he planned to go unclear.