Attorney General Ken Paxton took center stage during the Republican midterm convention to make his pitch to voters in the Texas Senate race as Election Day looms closer.
Paxton, the Republican candidate running against Democratic state Rep. James Talarico, took time to argue why Texas voters should send him to the U.S. Senate.
"California already has two senators; it doesn't need a third. But that's exactly what James Talarico would be," Paxton said.
During his six-minute speech, Paxton told Texans that if elected, he would:
- Create tax relief on all healthcare expenses:
- $25,000 tax deduction for all out-of-pocket medical expenses, including healthcare premiums
- An additional $25,000 tax deduction for each individual dependent
- Create a home down payment deduction:
- $50,000 deduction for first-time homebuyers
- Subsequent $50,000 down payment deduction if people move to a new primary residence
- Healthy living tax deduction:
- $5,000 tax deduction for spending related to developing a healthy lifestyle, including workout and gym expenses, nutrition plans, GLP-1 medications and sports activities for dependents
- Make the Trump Accounts Permanent
- Doubling the Child Tax Credit
Paxton also warned Republican voters what it would mean if the party lost to Talarico in November and what was at stake for them.
"He is the most radical Democrat in Texas history, but he's also the most well-funded, and that's
why today I need your prayers, your votes, and your support," Paxton said. "If we lose Texas, we lose the common sense revolution. If we lose the common sense revolution, we lose America."
USA TODAY reached out to the Talarico campaign for a response to Paxton's speech but has not heard back.
Recent Texas Senate polling
N+ Univision released its Sept. 9 poll that showed Democrat state Rep. James Talarico with a narrow edge over Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, 48% to 43%, with 7% undecided in the Texas Senate race.
The N+ Univision poll is the first released in September as the election cycle enters its final stretch toward Election Day, Nov. 3.
However, among the publicly released polls conducted in August, a Texas Public Opinion Research poll was the only one showing either candidate leading by more than the poll's margin of error.
Released Aug. 27, the poll showed Talarico leading Paxton by 6 percentage points, 48% to 42%, a lead outside the poll's 3.3-percentage-point margin of error. Democratic strategist Luke Warford directs the firm, though Texas Public Opinion Research describes itself as nonpartisan.
President Donald Trump is heading to Dallas to rally support for GOP candidates two months before the upcoming General Election on Nov 3.Revising Gallery
Before that, a University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll published Aug. 25 found 42% of Texas voters preferred Talarico, while 39% planned to vote for Paxton in the closely watched U.S. Senate race.
Earlier polling painted a similarly tight picture. An Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media poll released on Aug. 13 showed the Texas Senate race as a dead heat, with Paxton at 47% and Talarico at 46%.
A Texas Pulse/Texas A&M Bush School poll, released Aug. 7, showed Talarico leading 47% to 43%, while a Texas Southern University Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center poll released Aug. 4 showed Talarico ahead 47% to 45%, both within their respective margins of error.
Mateo Rosiles is the Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and its regional papers in Texas. Got a news tip for him? Email him at mrosiles@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ken Paxton makes plea to Texas voters as US Senate race tightens
