Are Texans done with Ken Paxton? Challenger Rochelle Garza says so in El Paso

In a bit of a 2022 Texas election plot twist, Texas attorney general candidate Rochelle Garza is suddenly a big name in Lone Star State Democratic Party politics.

If polls are correct, Garza represents the most serious challenger ever to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican incumbent. Observers say the race is competitive.

Paxton was forced into a runoff election to get on the Nov. 8 ballot. A number of polls immediately made the AG contest a tight race.

Garza campaigned in El Paso recently as part of the Texas Democratic Party's "Democrats Deliver For Texas" tour, which sees Democratic candidates traveling across the state to discuss a wide range of issues important to Texas voters.

In the March 24 runoff election, Garza was easily the most popular Democrat on the El Paso area ballot. She defeated her opponent to win the AG nomination by receiving 70% of the vote. Paxton was equally as dominant among Republicans in the GOP runoff race against Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush.

"This is a race we can win together," Garza said during her stop Tuesday in El Paso.

'Sound the alarm'

With Roe v. Wade overturned and a new abortion ban in effect across Texas, state Democrats are campaigning hard on reproductive rights ahead of the November election.

Garza's focus during her visit to El Paso was reproductive rights. Garza drew a contrast between her and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton during a news conference at the El Paso County Democratic Party headquarters.

"We need to sound the alarm on where we're at with abortion," Garza said. "Our rights are at stake and I don't want to sugarcoat where we are when it comes to reproductive rights. Abortion has been completely banned in the state of Texas. There are no exceptions for rape, there are no exceptions for incest. It doesn't matter how old you are, how young you are."

Garza stated that Paxton filed suit to "make sure that doctors cannot provide lifesaving care in emergency abortion situations."

"That's not who we are, that's not who our state is, that's not who our country is," Garza said. "We do not want people to die. That's why I'm running."

"Abortion is health care," she continued. "It's more than just a choice. It is about your life. It is about your future. It is about your ability to live freely and equally in this country."

'He is criminally indicted'

Garza also took aim at Paxton over his indictment for federal security fraud charges in July 2015, which have cast a dark cloud over the majority of his time in office.

"He is criminally indicted," Garza said. "He has been under indictment for seven years without trial. Eighty-three percent of cases like his are resolved within one year in the state of Texas. Why does he get to skirt the law? He is supposed to be the chief law officer of the state of Texas and he doesn't even answer for his own crimes."

Garza also said that Paxton could lose his law license over his part in trying to overturn the 2020 election in favor of former President Donald Trump, adding that he is "the weakest statewide incumbent."

"Texans are done with Ken Paxton, they're done with an attorney general who is corrupt and cares more about his power than the well-being of everyday Texans," she said. "I'm here to fight for us to make sure that we work toward restoring abortion access in this state because it will save lives and it will protect families."

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Recent political polls for November election

Recent polling shows Garza, a fifth-generation Tejana and fronteriza from Brownsville, within striking distance of Paxton. In at least two polls, Garza is within the margin of error ‒ 2.89% ‒ making the Texas attorney general's race the tightest on the November ballot.

A University of Houston/Texas Southern University poll shows Paxton with a narrow three-point lead over Garza: 45% to 42%, with 10% of those polled still undecided. While Paxton maintains a 23% lead over Garza with Anglo voters, Garza leads by 61% among Black voters, a 16% lead among Latino voters and a 5% lead among women.

A University of Texas at Tyler poll found Paxton with an even narrower lead in the race, 34% to 32%, with Garza eking out a five-point lead among independents.

If Garza is able to win, she would become the first woman and the first Latina to serve as Texas attorney general.

Early winner against Paxton

Among those in attendance for Garza's speech were El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego and Texas state Rep. Evelina Ortega, both of whom gave resounding endorsements of Garza.

Ortega expressed excitement over the fact that there is a "very well-qualified candidate" running for the state's top law enforcement position and chided Paxton over his "unforgivable" behavior while in office.

For his part, Samaniego spoke from the position of someone who "knows the problem of having the wrong attorney general," saying that state leadership was wholly absent during the crises that have afflicted El Paso over the past several years and continue to be out of reach as the current migrant crisis grows.

"Unless it's political, we get no help," Samaniego said, before turning his attention back to Garza. "This is the right person, this is someone I would love to have supporting me as a local government."

More:A guide to voter rights in Texas. What you need to know before you cast a ballot

A graduate of the University of Houston Law Center and Brown University, Garza worked as a staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas and a managing partner of Garza and Garza Law, gaining national attention when she went up against then-federal court Judge Brett Kavanaugh in the Garza v. Hagan case.

The case centered around Jane Doe, a pregnant 17-year-old migrant girl who was denied abortion access, and saw both President Donald Trump and Paxton intervene in an attempt to block the girl's abortion.

Garza won the case, which resulted in the "Garza Notice," which is now given to teens in immigration custody to inform them of their right to access abortion free of obstruction and retaliation.

Garza offered this summary of her visit to El Paso on a social media account:

"I may be 18 hours from Brownsville but El Paso feels like home! Thankful to be here with my border community to show Ken Paxton that we are ready to vote him out."

Paxton launches first ad against Garza

Paxton released his first ad against Garza, calling her “the most radical politician ever nominated by a major party in Texas.”

On Thursday, Paxton tweeted: "Radical liberal Rochelle Garza is the most radical politician ever nominated by a major party in TX. Garza worked as a lawyer for an extremist far-left group. Now, she wants to be Attorney General to impose her dangerous agenda on every Texan."

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Rochelle Garza says Texans are done with Ken Paxton in El Paso