Texas Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton was caught on leaked audio conceding that President Donald Trump's midterm convention in the Lone Star State hurt his campaign more than it helped.
The admission comes as Paxton finds himself locked in a tight Senate race against Democrat James Talarico.
"Do you feel like he's a little bit of a drag?" Paxton is asked in the recording, which was obtained by The New York Times.
"So to be honest with you, the numbers — when we did that convention — it dropped our numbers," Paxton answered. "Everybody's numbers dropped. Right now, yeah, not good."
The Times received the audio from an attendee at a recent fundraiser. The source asked to remain anonymous and told the paper that he opposes Paxton's candidacy.
The comments offer a rare glimpse of frustration from the Republican candidate, who has been on the receiving end of the president's remarks about his appearance.
During the convention earlier this month, Trump delivered a speech in which he urged Texans to vote for Paxton, even though he "may not be the best-looking guy."
Paxton secured the Republican nomination in May after landing Trump's endorsement. In backing Paxton, the president snubbed incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.
Trump's decision to weigh in on the primary came over the objections of many in the party establishment. Those Republicans warned that Paxton's various corruption and infidelity scandals would dog him in the general election and put a safe Senate seat in play.
Those concerns now appear to be materializing.
Despite the president's support, Paxton has been unable to hold off Talarico in recent polls. The tightening race puts Republicans at risk of losing a Senate contest in reliably red Texas for the first time in 38 years.
The warning signs have not gone unnoticed by prominent voices in the party.
Legendary GOP strategist Karl Rove has cautioned that Paxton's time "is running out!"
Rove also suggested the president needs to back up his endorsement with financial support.
"If the president wants to have Paxton win, he needs to be tossing a lot of money Paxton's way," Rove said.
The leaked recording adds to the pressure on Paxton's campaign as it works to regain its footing against Talarico. In his own words, Paxton acknowledged that the numbers dropped for everyone following the convention and that the current picture is "not good."
For Republicans, the stakes in Texas are unusually high. A seat long considered safe for the GOP is now in play, and the party establishment's earlier concerns about Paxton's scandals are resurfacing as the general election approaches.
Whether Trump will heed Rove's call to pour more money into the race remains to be seen. For now, the leaked audio has handed Paxton's critics fresh ammunition, and the candidate himself has conceded that his campaign took a hit from the very event meant to boost it.
