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By Brendan Cole
Senior Reporter
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A BBQ restaurant in Texas has apologized for holding an election event hosted by Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton, saying it had not been informed in advance.
Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que in New Braunfels blamed a "rogue employee" for allowing Saturday morning's event with the Texas attorney general and Senator Ted Cruz to take place.
"We are not in the business of endorsing political candidates," the chain's statement on Facebook said.
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It comes amid a tight Senate race for the Lone Star State where Paxton is trailing the Democratic candidate James Talarico, according to Real Clear Polling.
Newsweek has contacted Paxton's office and Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que for comment.
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Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que has locations across the Lone Star State including in Austin, College Station, Fort Worth, Llano and Katy.
It was said to be a favorite of former President George W. Bush, who celebrated his victory in the 2000 U.S. election by ordering its food for an event at the family property in Crawford, Texas, according to Southern Foodways Alliance owner Terry Wootan.
An election event involving Paxton was scheduled for the site at New Braunfels starting at 8.30 a.m. last Saturday, according to the listing on Eventbrite.
"Join AG Ken Paxton on his Come and Take It Tour in New Braunfels with Senator Cruz and Congressman (Darrell) Issa," the listing said.
The event had been publicized in the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung and in posts on the Comal County Republican Party’s Facebook page.
Paxton posted on X images from the event with the message, "honored to be joined by my friend Ted Cruz in New Braunfels yesterday."
"I look forward to working alongside him in the U.S. Senate to deliver for the Great State of Texas," it added.
The Republican National Committee (RNC) said on Sunday in a statement that "Cruz hit the trail with Ken Paxton in New Braunfels, and the two are ready to deliver for the Lone Star State."
But it appears that the ownership of the restaurant had not given the go ahead.
It posted a statement on Facebook saying it "had no knowledge beforehand that Ken Paxton was going to be allowed to hold an event at our location this morning."
As well as saying it did not endorse any political candidate, the statement added, "this is the action of a rogue employee and was not authorized by ownership and will be addressed internally."
How Is The Texas Race Playing Out?
Trump carried Texas by almost 14 points in the 2024 election but his approval has slumped due to concerns about the economy, high gas prices and the Iran war.
It has put the state in the cross hairs for the Democrats who have not won there in 32 years. The latest polling aggregate as of Friday from Real Clear Politics put Talarico clear of Paxton 48.4 percent to 46.9 percent.
In comments emailed to Newsweek on Monday, former Austin Mayor Steve Adler, a Democrat, said, "I've watched Texas Democrats chase this for 30 years; the difference this time is a candidate answering fear with an affordability agenda."
"Housing is the single biggest line in most families' budgets and the issue Texans tell pollsters they care about most," he added.
Two Democratic strongholds in Texas, Harris and Dallas counties, posted record first-day early-voting numbers last week, which is considered encouraging for Democrats in areas of the state they must win.
However, the GOP stronghold of Denton County smashed its own record, underscoring high voter enthusiasm on both sides.
In the gubernatorial contest, GOP Governor Greg Abbott is in a tight race with Democratic challenger Gina Hinojosa. He is 3.3 percentage points ahead of Hinojosa, 49.8 percent to 46.5 percent, according to Real Clear Politics.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Rebecca Flood and Emma Lee-Sang
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