Republican U.S. Senate candidate saw a wealth of support as he brought his campaign to El Paso for the first time.
Paxton appeared at an event at the Summit Ballroom and Conference Center Wednesday, Sept. 30, where he spoke before a packed house of Republican voters.
The scene at the campaign rally was like a small rally, with plates of food, country music, and merchandise from the Paxton campaign, as well as from the campaigns of Gov. Greg Abbott and congressional District 23 candidate Brandon Herrera, who appeared alongside Paxton.
For Dylan Barron, 19, a student at the University of Texas at El Paso, Paxton represents an opportunity to hold on to Texas' conservative roots.
"I'm a Republican," he said, as he waited in line before the start of
the rally. "I'm not really a fan of the Democrats."
If Paxton is able to overtake Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico in the Nov. 3 General Election, Barron hopes he will focus on enacting the SAVE Act to provide additional voter security and ensure illegal immigrants are not allowed to vote in United States elections.
Before Paxton took the stage, El Paso County Republican Party Chair Michael Aboud tried to rally Republican voters to the polls in November.
"We need all of you to get as many people to go vote as you can," he said. "If you don't … we can't win. You are No. One."
Herrera sought to hype the crowd ahead of Paxton's speech, telling those in attendance that the event was "a victory rally."
"One of my least favorite things is listening to the fake news," he said. "Everybody in the fake news is saying nobody in El Paso is excited to vote for Ken Paxton because it seems to me there's a room full of people excited to vote for Ken Paxton."
Here's a look at some of the key moments from Paxton's speech.
Paxton touts 'Protecting the Texas Promise' agenda
At the center of Paxton's El Paso visit was promoting his "Protecting the Texas Promise" agenda, an ambitious economic agenda meant to put money back in Texans' pockets.
"For too many people, buying that first home or starting that family seems further and further out of reach," he said, adding that he plans to fight to ensure Texans can do that "without struggling to make ends meet."
Paxton's plan includes a $25,000 tax deduction for out-of-pocket medical expenses, a $25,000 tax deduction for every dependent, a $50,000 tax deduction for first-time homebuyers, and a $5,000 healthy-living tax deduction for gym memberships, youth sports and doctor-prescribed GLP-1s. The plans also calls for expanding the child tax credit.
"Because preserving the American dream means more than just talking about it," he said.
Paxton takes aim at Talarico over taxes
A large part of Paxton's speech was aimed at criticizing his General Election opponent over his record on taxes.
"James Talarico is the most radical Democrat to ever run statewide in Texas," he said, garnering a rumble of "boos" from the crowd. "He has plans for your money, he just doesn't include you."
"He is a clear Democratic socialist who has never met a tax increase he didn't love," Paxton continued. "In the (Texas) Legislature, he voted to allow for a state income tax. He publicly attacked the biggest tax cut working people have received in a generation. James Talarico wants to tax your tips, he wants to tax your overtime, he wants to tax your Social Security … and he wants to roll back the expanded Child Tax Credit."
However, Talarico's own tax plan calls for protecting Social Security and expanding the Child Tax Credit.
"James Talarico doesn't want to just tax the rich," Paxton said, " he wants to tax those who are struggling and the people already working harder than ever."
Paxton: Race is about 'defending Texas and our country'
For Paxton, the Texas U.S. Senate race, which has become one of the most watched political contests of the midterm, is nothing short of a battle for the soul of the United States.
"This race is about defending Texas and our country," he said. "It is also about safeguarding our faith and our way of life. I've never seen someone so willing to weaponize faith to sell a radical agenda."
He criticized Talarico over his comments calling himself a "Christian who hates Christianity" and saying, "God is nonbinary."
"This is not who we are as Texans," Paxton said. "Here, faith is protected, people worship freely, and we certainly do not hate Christianity."
"There's so much at stake in this election cycle," he said later. "Texas is not just another seat on the board; if we lose Texas, we lose America."
Adam Powell covers government and politics for the El Paso Times and can be reached via email at apowell@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Paxton brings 'Protecting the Texas Promise' tour to El Paso
