Paxton aide appears to back Social Security privatization

A spokesperson for Ken Paxton’s U.S. Senate campaign appeared to endorse privatizing Social Security in an Aug. 17 social media post.

Ron Rule, a Republican candidate for the New Hampshire legislature, wrote on X that it was a mistake for Americans not to embrace President George W. Bush’s plan to privatize the program. This post was then shared by Madison Cercy, Paxton’s deputy director of communications.

Cercy’s X account does not include a disclaimer stating that reposts are not endorsements or that any expressed opinions are her own. While such disclaimers are not legally binding, they are a common practice for campaign operatives who do not want their own views attributed to the candidate they work for.

Cercy appears to have deleted the post after it was called out by political commentator Aaron Rupar and the Texas Democratic Party.

In 2005, Bush proposed allowing younger workers to divert a portion of their payroll taxes away from Social Security and into investment accounts. Democrats and Republicans opposed the idea, warning that it would lead to less money to pay retirees and an increased reliance on the Social Security trust fund, speeding up the program’s insolvency.

Had Bush’s plan been enacted, workers may have also lost some or all of their diverted funds in the 2008 financial crisis.

Paxton’s campaign told the Houston Chronicle this month that Paxton is committed to protecting Social Security, but it did not articulate a plan to do so. The same statement celebrated tax cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) that primarily benefited wealthy people.

Texas Democratic Party spokesperson Ryan Martin said in a statement that “Texans worked hard and paid into this system for their whole lives, and they deserve transparency on who Ken Paxton is letting gamble with their earned benefits.”

State Rep. James Talarico, Paxton’s Democratic opponent, does have a specific plan. He called for raising the cap on the Social Security tax for those earning more than $400,000 a year.

Polling suggests that privatizing Social Security is deeply unpopular. Only 20% of voters like the idea, according to a 2025 Data for Progress survey.