Today’s installment of campaign-related news items from across the country.

* In Texas’ closely watched U.S. Senate race, Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton has already faced difficult questions about the wealth he has accumulated while in office, including his ownership of at least 15 homes. A new report from The Associated Press makes matters considerably worse.

The report noted that when Paxton launched his Senate bid last year, he skipped the usual launch event in his home state, instead announcing his intentions during a Fox News appearance. At that point, the AP reported, he “cleared his calendar and booked a hotel in Augusta, Georgia, during the storied Masters golf tournament, a trip that cost Texas taxpayers at least $25,000.”

This was not especially unusual for him. From the article:

Since assuming office in 2015, Paxton left about 730 workdays blank on his official calendars and took over 275 out-of-state trips to places such as the California wine country, Caribbean resorts and European tourism hot spots. The travel cost Texas taxpayers a minimum of $1.9 million to cover expenses charged by his security detail, records show. […]

“There is clearly a pattern of behavior here that may make some voters question how seriously Ken Paxton has taken the job,” said Joshua Blank, the director of research for the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin.

The article added that Paxton’s campaign would not make him available for an interview and declined to comment for this story. A Paxton spokesperson directed all questions to the Texas attorney general’s office, which did not directly respond to a detailed list of questions about Paxton’s travel, including how he pays for it.

* Speaking of the Lone Star State, JD Vance traveled to Texas yesterday, making a series of appearances. He’ll be followed by Donald Trump, who’s holding events in Texas and Oklahoma today.

* In Wisconsin’s closely watched gubernatorial race, the latest Marquette Law School poll found Democrat David Crowley narrowly leading Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany, 49% to 46%.

On a related note, The New York Times reported that a new state campaign finance report found that more that 90% of the money Tiffany’s GOP gubernatorial campaign has raised has come from three billionaires.

* In Michigan’s closely watched U.S. Sente race, the latest Fox News poll showed Democrat Abdul El-Sayed with the narrowest of advantages over his Republican opponent, former Rep. Mike Rogers, 50% to 49%.

* Oregon’s gubernatorial race is shaping up to be a rare pickup opportunity for Republicans in an otherwise rough year: The latest Oregon Public Broadcasting poll found Republican state Sen. Christine Drazan narrowly leading incumbent Democratic Gov. Tina Kotek, 47% to 46%.

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