Republican Ken Paxton, locked in an unexpectedly tight Senate contest in deeply red Texas, drew attention over the weekend for his choice of campaign-trail attire: a Four Seasons golf shirt.
The detail that made it stand out?
The shirt was from Four Seasons Orlando, a luxury resort where nightly rates can run into the thousands of dollars and which sits more than 1,000 miles from one of Paxton’s homes in Austin.
Paxton is trying to hold onto a Senate seat Democrats have not controlled in more than three decades.
The Texas attorney general was also photographed wearing a Hublot Aerofusion King Gold watch valued at about $40,000.
Financial disclosures place the 63-year-old Paxton’s net worth between $13 million and $27 million. His Democratic rival, 37-year-old James Talarico, lists assets between $15,000 and $50,000, including a bank account he shares with his mother.
Talarico took a pointed swipe after the photo circulated, writing that “nothing says you understand the affordability crisis like wearing a $41,000 watch and a Four Seasons polo.”
Liberal commentator Brian Tyler Cohen also weighed in, saying Paxton “Can’t even pretend to be a man of the people.”
Texas Republican US Senate nominee Ken Paxton wore a ‘Four Season Golf Orlando’ polo shirt and a luxury watch while campaigning in San Antonio this weekend
Paxton was spotted wearing a watch worth over $40,000
Talarico hit Paxton over his choice of attire on the campaign trail over the weekend
The Daily Mail reached out to Paxton’s campaign about the photo and did not receive a response.
During an appearance on Fox News’ Sunday Briefing with host Jacqui Heinrich, Paxton was questioned about his net worth, that has ballooned during his time in public office, as well as claims made by Talarico that Paxton owns 15 houses.
‘I’m proud of what I did in private business as a practicing attorney. I had my own practice for 14 years, had my own businesses that I ran,’ Paxton told Heinrich, noting that he only made $600 a month as a legislator.
Paxton’s salary as the Texas Attorney General has been $153,750 per year.
Paxton then went on to tout himself as a ‘successful lawyer,’ while pinning Talarico as a ‘DEI consultant,’ who worked to profit off of the public dole.
Paxton noted, ‘When you do a good job as a business person, as a lawyer, and you take care of your clients, they pay you,’ before adding that he was ‘proud’ of the way he made a living and built wealth.
Paxton was found to be down, 42 percent to Talarico’s 48 percent, in a Texas Public Opinion Research poll released last Thursday on August 27.
John Kennedy, a Republican from Louisiana, also raised alarm bells that Republicans don’t have money currently budgeted to help Paxton win Texas.
‘We need help from the President. The President says he has $850M in his campaign accounts. That’s a lot of jack,’ Kennedy said, in what appeared to be a plea for help. The Daily Mail’s conversations with top GOP advisors have indicated that despite the hype surrounding Texas, the party is not worried about losing the seat.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott is seeking a historic 4th term, and his popularity is also likely to help turnout for Texas statewide, not just for him but for Paxton as well.
Paxton won his primary with Trump’s endorsement, ousting incumbent Senator John Cornyn.
But he’s been hit with allegations of adultery amid a messy divorce, and a past impeachment before being acquitted by fellow Republicans in the Texas Senate.
