--- title: "Ken Paxton says Greg Abbott is 'struggling' in leaked audio" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/ken-paxton-says-greg-abbott-is-struggling-in-leaked-audio" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/ken-paxton-says-greg-abbott-is-struggling-in-leaked-audio" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/ken-paxton-says-greg-abbott-is-struggling-in-leaked-audio.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/ken-paxton-says-greg-abbott-is-struggling-in-leaked-audio" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-10-14T17:45:59.233Z" source_reported: "2026-10-14T16:59:19.000Z" updated: "2026-10-14T17:45:59.233Z" trust_score: 60 critic_score: 60 hype_score: 45 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-14T18:30:55.211363+00:00" --- # Ken Paxton says Greg Abbott is 'struggling' in leaked audio *Texas Attorney General's remarks suggest Republicans may lose legislative seats, according to reports.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 60 of 100, higher is better. Central claims attributed to named sources, with polling data and two independent outlets reporting. - Craft 60 of 100, higher is better. Reports quote affected parties and explain why the story matters, with specific details provided. - Hype 45 of 100, lower is better. Headlines promise a bombshell, but the article body provides context and nuance. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Leaked audio attributed to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton states Governor Greg Abbott is 'struggling' in his reelection bid. - Paxton also reportedly conceded that Republicans may lose seats in the Texas Legislature. - Polling data from a University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll shows Democrat James Talarico leading Paxton by 50% to 47% and Democrat Gina Hinojosa leading Abbott by 49% to 48%. - The leaked audio was reportedly obtained by Rolling Stone from a fundraiser on September 24. Leaked audio attributed to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton suggests Governor Greg Abbott is struggling in his reelection bid. The recording, reportedly from a fundraiser on September 24, also includes Paxton conceding that Republicans might lose seats in the Texas Legislature. Polling data from a University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll indicates tight races for both the governor and US Senate positions. ## Divergent accounts of poll results IBTimes UK reported that a University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll showed Democrat James Talarico leading Paxton by 50% to 47% and Democrat Gina Hinojosa leading Abbott by 49% to 48%. These leads fall within the poll's margin of error, meaning they do not establish a statistically clear advantage for either Democrat. IBTimes UK also noted that the same poll's generic legislative ballot showed Republicans at 49% and Democrats at 48%, also within the margin of error, which does not support a definitive prediction of Republicans losing legislative seats. Newsweek, however, presented a broader range of polling data for the governor's race, including a Marist University poll showing Abbott ahead 49% to 45%, a ReconMR/Siena Research Institute poll with Abbott up 1 point (48% to 47%), and a University of Massachusetts Lowell/YouGov poll with Abbott ahead 48% to 44%. Newsweek also cited two polls where Hinojosa narrowly led, including the University of Texas/YouGov poll (49% to 48%). ## What the coverage left out None of the left or centre-rated reports mentioned the University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll's finding that inflation and higher prices were the most frequently cited leading problem facing Texas, named by 21% of respondents, with political corruption or leadership following at 15%. This detail was present in the full report from IBTimes UK. ## Who covered it Shares of the 6 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 83% (5) - Centre: 17% (1) - Right: 0% (0) 0 of 6 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-14T18:30:55.211363+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 6 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-14T19:15:21.323Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Five left-rated reports focused on Ken Paxton's remarks about Governor Greg Abbott struggling and the potential for Republican legislative losses. IBTimes UK highlighted Paxton's statement that Abbott is 'struggling' and noted the tight races shown in a University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll, while also cautioning that the leaked audio and poll data did not definitively prove broader Republican losses. OK! Magazine and Joe.My.God. used digests to report that Paxton complained about Abbott's 'struggling' campaign and conceded potential legislative seat losses. Raw Story's digest stated Paxton 'stuns with poison arrow aimed at fellow Republican' and reported his comments on Abbott being 'in trouble.' Mediaite's digest reported Paxton 'admits Greg Abbott’s reelection bid ‘struggling’.' ### Centre - Newsweek's centre-rated report led with the headline 'Greg Abbott is "struggling" Ken Paxton warns: What Texas polls show.' It detailed Paxton's comments about Abbott 'struggling' and Republicans likely losing legislative seats. The report provided extensive polling data for the governor's race from multiple sources, including the University of Texas/YouGov poll, and contrasted Abbott's spending with that of Democrat Gina Hinojosa. It also included statements from Hinojosa and noted other leaked audio clips involving Paxton. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 1 - high: 3 - unknown: 1 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [IBTimes UK](https://ibtimes.co.uk/ken-paxton-leaked-audio-greg-abbott-struggling-texas-1825674) — New Leaked Audio Catches Ken Paxton Saying Greg Abbott Is 'Struggling' and GOP Could Lose Texas Seats - [OK! Magazine](https://okmagazine.com/p/ken-paxton-greg-abbott-struggling-campaign-leaked-audio) — Ken Paxton Talks Gov. Greg Abbott's 'Struggling' Campaign in Bombshell Leaked Audio: Listen - [Newsweek](https://newsweek.com/greg-abbott-is-struggling-ken-paxton-warns-what-texas-polls-show-12568079) — Greg Abbott is "struggling" Ken Paxton warns: What Texas polls show - [Joe.My.God.](https://joemygod.com/2026/10/paxton-bemoans-his-campaign-issues-in-new-audio) — Paxton Bemoans His Campaign Issues In New Audio - [Raw Story](https://rawstory.com/ken-paxton-2678084055) — Ken Paxton stuns with poison arrow aimed at fellow Republican in newly leaked audio - [Mediaite](https://mediaite.com/media/news/ken-paxton-admits-greg-abbotts-reelection-bid-struggling-in-new-leaked-audio-clip) — Ken Paxton Admits Greg Abbott’s Reelection Bid ‘Struggling’ in New Leaked Audio Clip ## Questions **What was revealed in the leaked audio attributed to Ken Paxton?** Leaked audio attributed to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton reportedly states that Governor Greg Abbott is 'struggling' in his reelection bid. Paxton also allegedly conceded that Republicans might lose seats in the Texas Legislature. The audio was reportedly obtained by Rolling Stone from a fundraiser on September 24. **What do the polls show about the Texas governor and Senate races?** Polling data from a University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll shows tight races. Democrat James Talarico was reportedly leading Republican Ken Paxton by 50% to 47% in the US Senate race, and Democrat Gina Hinojosa was leading Governor Greg Abbott by 49% to 48% in the governor's race. Both leads fall within the poll's margin of error. **Which outlets reported on the leaked audio?** The story was reported by IBTimes UK, Newsweek, OK! Magazine, Joe.My.God., Raw Story, and Mediaite. Of these, IBTimes UK and Newsweek provided full reports, while the others published digests of the story. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/ken-paxton-says-greg-abbott-is-struggling-in-leaked-audio. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Ken Paxton says Greg Abbott is 'struggling' in leaked audio", https://mediabias.news/politics/ken-paxton-says-greg-abbott-is-struggling-in-leaked-audio