Ken Paxton, the Texas Republican Senate candidate, has said his campaign is “all coming from DC”, a pointed response to the suggestion that his message is being set outside the state.

Speaking at a small fundraising event, Paxton said: “I don’t control message or what we’re doing.” The remark was widely read as aimed at outside Democratic groups funding his opponent.

The exchange captures the difficulty of a Texas Senate race in which national money and state identity are in direct tension. Both parties are running campaigns that must look locally financed while absorbing outside strategy.

With the primary approaching, the argument over who actually directs the campaign is likely to intensify rather than settle.