It has been a brutal stretch for Paxton. His private conversations have leaked. Details of his past romantic affairs have surfaced. Critics have taken jabs at his physical appearance.
The wounds from the primary, where Paxton defeated Sen. John Cornyn, have not healed. Many in Paxton's corner are convinced people aligned with Cornyn are trying to tank his chances. Others in the GOP say Paxton's negatives are so high that few want to associate with him.
NBC News interviewed more than a dozen Texas Republicans caught in the crossfire. Their accounts make clear there is no hope for a truce before Election Day, or perhaps ever. Some say the fissures threaten to sideline Republican efforts ahead of a critical election.
Talarico, for his part, addressed his recent absence from the campaign trail, saying it was nothing but a "nasty case of the flu."