Attorney General Ken Paxton on Friday proposed a set of tax deductions as the centerpiece of what he billed as the economic agenda for his U.S. Senate campaign, as affordability and everyday costs remain dominant concerns in the midterms.

Paxton, the Republican nominee, said his plan is intended to "put thousands of dollars back into the pockets of hardworking Texans," with a focus on write-offs for housing and healthcare costs."Washington has made it harder than ever to get ahead, and the American Dream is slipping away as the cost of everything from housing to healthcare rises," Paxton said in a statement that doubled as the opening message of a new digital ad he narrated.

"My agenda is very simple: I believe every Texan should be able to buy a home, raise a family and live a healthy life without struggling to make ends meet."Affordability has routinely topped voters' list of concerns in polling, making the fight to own the issue - including defining the culprit and proposing popular solutions - a critical battleground in Texas' Senate race.