EL PASO, Texas (KFOX14/CBS4) — GOP candidate for the U.S. Senate, Ken Paxton, held a campaign event Wednesday afternoon in El Paso.
Paxton brought his “Protecting the Texas Promise” tour to the Borderland and was joined by congressional nominee for Texas’ 23rd Congressional District Brandon Herrera, who is running against Democratic candidate Katy Padilla Stout and independent Ben Mendoza.
According to Paxton, the promise includes tax deductions, making Trump Accounts permanent and increasing the child tax credit.
Paxton is running against Democratic candidate and Texas House Rep. for District 50, James Talarico.
During Paxton’s campaign stop in El Paso, he talked to supporters about affordability as he laid out what he called an economic plan for Texas.
Paxton told the crowd he had rolled out “Protecting the Texas Promise Plan, an economic vision to put thousands of dollars back into your pockets because preserving the American dream means more than talking about it.”
He said the plan also includes proposals aimed at housing affordability, including assistance for homebuyers.
“It means you can own a home with a historic $50,000 down payment for your first buy home and your second, so we’re gonna help people get into homes,” Paxton said.
Sonya Friday, who attended the event, said Paxton’s message resonated with her as a parent and on economic issues.
“He stands with me as a parent. My children and my generations are the highest priority, and then he stands and protects my pocket. He lets my children have an opportunity for the future to land. I mean own land, own a house,” Friday said.
The visit comes as recent polls have shown Paxton narrowly trailing Democrat Talarico in the Senate race.
According to an Emerson College survey, which was conducted earlier this month and has a three-point margin of error, Talarico leads Paxton by a percentage point. Other recent reputable polls have placed the Democrat in a similar spot.
Paxton also criticized his opponent, saying, “James Talarico is the most radical Democrat ever run statewide in Texas.”
Paxton’s stop in El Paso came two months after Talarico also campaigned in the city, where he spoke about issues including government reform, wealth inequality, health care and public education.
“Here in El Paso we’ve seen first-hand with some of our school districts having declining enrollment and losing funding,” Talarico said. “I have a history of fighting for our schools, fighting for educators, fighting for students and our parents.”
Talarico also highlighted the cost of living, saying, “We have folks all across this community, all across the state who are struggling to afford the basics, groceries, gas, utilities, health care, prescription drugs, the things that we need to survive.”
RECOMMENDED: James Talarico to hold El Paso Town Hall as part of U.S. Senate campaign
WATCH:
Ken Paxton brings U.S. Senate campaign tour to El Paso. Sept. 30, 2026. Credit: KFOX14/CBS4
RECOMMENDED: Texas’s Talarico, Paxton neck and neck weeks before Senate election
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