Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton was expected to conclude his campaign with a rally at the historic Alamo, the focal point of his “Come and Take It” bus tour. However, on Saturday, just two days prior to his scheduled event, Paxton seemingly abandoned those plans.
Instead, his campaign announced new events in Conroe and Allen, Texas, set for Monday. The Conroe gathering is planned for 11 a.m., while the Allen event will take place at 5:30 p.m., approximately 300 miles away from the Alamo.
The only events listed for Monday on Eventbrite, where Paxton’s campaign has been posting tour details, were those in Conroe and Allen. His official website did not include any mention of events on that day.
Questions regarding the last-minute change in plans were not immediately addressed by Paxton’s campaign, which had also previously declined to provide logistical details about the Alamo rally.
Initially, Paxton’s campaign had stated that the tour would culminate at the Alamo, a symbol of resistance despite its historical defeat during the 1836 Texas Revolution. Paxton aimed to convey a strong message to Texans: “When they come after Texans, Ken Paxton goes after them.”
The Alamo Trust, the organization responsible for the landmark, informed Texas Public Radio on Friday that it had no knowledge of any planned event by Paxton on its grounds. Generally, political gatherings are prohibited at the Alamo.
Paxton is locked in a competitive race against Democrat James Talarico, positioning himself as a staunch conservative dedicated to upholding Texas’s traditional values against what he terms the “radical left.” He has participated in numerous rallies alongside notable figures such as former President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance to energize Republican voters.
Talarico is actively campaigning across the state with his own initiative, the “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts” tour, inspired by the popular television show “Friday Night Lights,” which highlights the culture of West Texas high school football.
Paxton’s final campaign push has been marred by multiple cancellations and rescheduled events in cities including El Paso, Tyler, Texarkana, and Mission, leading Democrats to declare a “Paxton bus tour crashout.”
In a recent statement, Talarico remarked, “No one’s going to Ken Paxton’s rallies, so he’s canceling them and hoping Elon Musk will buy this seat for him,” referencing the over $200 million Musk has invested in supporting Paxton’s campaign. “Texas deserves a Senator that shows up — not one that hides behind a pile of money.”
