This post was originally published on Politico.

National Republicans have spent months trying to rescue Ken Paxton. He’s complicating that effort.

Tensions are brewing with some Republicans after POLITICO published Paxton’s closed-door comments that “D.C.” Republicans were largely controlling his race.

“He is welcome to raise his own money and say whatever he wants,” said one Republican involved in the Paxton rescue effort, who like others in this article was granted anonymity to speak candidly. “In fact, if he did that, he’d probably be winning right now and we wouldn’t need to spend all this money.”

Senate Republicans and top operatives didn’t want to be in this position in the

Author: By Meredith Lee Hill and Alex Gangitano