DALLAS — Polling a distant fourth in the Republican race for Texas attorney general, Eva Guzman is stepping up her attacks against fellow Republicans and has money to mount a campaign blitz in the final weeks before the March primary.
“Ken Paxton, for whatever good he's done, his personal indictments, pending indictments, FBI investigations are a distraction to the important work of the people of Texas. We can thank him for what he's done and send him on his way, and we should. As a Texan absolutely I believe we can do better,” Guzman said on Sunday’s Inside Texas Politics.
Guzman, a former Texas Supreme Court justice, is backed by the powerful Texans For Lawsuit Reform lobby. But she is languishing in last place in a four-person race, according to two recent polls from The Dallas Morning News and the University of Houston.
“Those polls don't reflect what I'm seeing on the campaign trail, and they don't reflect the independence of Texas voters,” Guzman added. “I'm the only candidate running that has 22 years of experience in the judiciary, and that means I know how to file winning lawsuits. Ken Paxton has failed to deliver results. He has failed to respect the office. He has lost the trust of the people of Texas. I'm a former judge married to a police officer, the daughter of legal immigrants, a mom and a proud Texan.”
In the final weeks before the election, Guzman is focusing her attacks on some failed lawsuits that Paxton has filed on behalf of Texas, including ones on the Affordable Care Act and the Keystone Pipeline.
Watch the segment below:
"I would have filed winning arguments. Ken Paxton doesn't know the law. He doesn't know how to follow the law and that's why he's losing in the courtroom. He also lost seven of his hand chosen staff. Let's just think about that. You go and hire seven conservative, smart attorneys. You hand pick them. You bring them in your office. They're doing their job. They catch you violating the law. They catch you committing bribery and fraud. So, they go to the FBI," Guzman said. "Right now, as we sit here today, the Attorney General's office is missing the top-notch lawyers that help Texans win in court. I'll bring them back on day one."
Paxton faces a felony charge from 2015 for securities fraud and a reported FBI investigation after seven top staff members accused him of corruption.
Paxton denies any wrongdoing and he declined an invitation to appear on Inside Texas Politics.
According to her January filing, Guzman has $1.3 million in cash on hand. She said she intends to spend that on direct voter contact.
“If you look at the last reports, 60 percent of everything we raised has gone directly to voter contact. Contrast that with George P. [Bush]. No experience, no judgment. Nine percent of what he raised went to voter contact this last reporting period,” Guzman told the television program. “I out raised them because Texans know they're ready for real leadership at the Attorney General's office.”
Early voting begins Monday, February 14.
Election day is Tuesday, March 1.