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Texas's U.S. Senate race is poised to become one of the nation’s hardest-fought and most expensive contests, with Democratic nominee James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton expected to leverage each other’s backgrounds in a race that could shape the balance of power in Washington.
Paxton edged out four-term incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn in Tuesday’s GOP primary runoff, a clear win for the MAGA grassroots base against establishment Republicans with President Donald Trump’s endorsement on full display. Democrats have long sought to make inroads in Texas, which has not elected a Democratic senator since 1988 and has backed a Republican for president in every election since 1980.
Republicans have cast Talarico as a progressive out of step with Texas voters, pointing to his policy positions, lifestyle, and comments on Christianity, while Democrats have focused on Paxton’s legal and political controversies, arguing he is unethical and corrupt.
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“This is likely to be one of the nastiest races in America this cycle,” Alex Patton, principal of Ozean Media, told Newsweek.
Newsweek reached out to the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) for comment.
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James Talarico's Most Radical Remarks
Moments after winning the GOP primary runoff on Tuesday, Paxton said the race is "not about red or blue, it's about so much more." He went on to say, "My opponent [Talarico] is the most extreme radical the Democrats have ever nominated." He listed a slew of mocking nicknames for Talarico, including "Tofu Talarico," "Sixth Gender Jimmy," and "James Talafreako."
During a 2021 speech in the Texas legislature, Talarico said "God is nonbinary" to push back on transgender legislation backed by Republicans. Republicans have seized on the comment and plastered it in their advertising, casting him as too progressive.
The Democrat routinely touts his Christian faith as the driving force behind his politics, even on issues many see as at odds with Christianity. He's been an outspoken advocate for LGBTQ+ rights in Texas, particularly defending the transgender community as Republicans have pushed legislation targeting the community in recent years.
Talarico acknowledged that the comment was "provocative," but told Newsweek in a September 2025 interview that he was just citing what the Bible teaches.
"I don't think, theologically speaking, any of my fellow believers would disagree that God is beyond gender. I recognized how I phrased it, probably raised some eyebrows, but the idea that in Christ, in God, there is neither male nor female, that is not coming from me," he said.
"That's coming from the Apostle Paul," he said, adding that those who had an issue with the statement "should take it up, not with me, but with the letter to the Galatians."
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“Democrats biggest liability in Texas is that they often get defined by Republicans before they can define themselves,” Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston, told Newsweek on Wednesday.
He continued, “The Paxton campaign wants to highlight how Talarico is out of step with the values or culture of most Texans. Paxton will try to paint Talarico as ‘weird.’ Paxton wasted no time mocking Talarico for being a vegan or possessing an unusual theology.”
Talarico has repeatedly countered the vegan claims, saying earlier this month, “I’ve been eating barbecue since before Ken Paxton’s first indictment,” in a jab at the Republican candidate.
Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Joe Gruters said in a Wednesday Newsmax interview, “Tala-freako is a creep. He’s a vegan. He thinks God is nonbinary. He wants to mutilate children. He wants the boys in girls’ locker rooms.”
In March, Representative Ronny Jackson, a Texas Republican, said in an X post, “Texans should not be fooled. Talarico might not have BLUE HAIR, but that doesn't mean he's not a full-on RADICAL LEFTIST!!”
Ken Paxton's Biggest Controversies
Paxton’s past, including criminal charges and allegations of infidelity, has been brought up on the national stage, both by the Democrats and by his primary challenger, Cornyn.
Earlier this month, critics highlighted a Waco plea deal offered by prosecutors under Paxton to a man accused of repeatedly sexually abusing a young boy. The deal would have allowed the defendant to serve just one day in jail after pleading guilty to reduced misdemeanor charges.
“It is important to note that the predators who commit these crimes tend to repeat them over and over again, until stopped. Paxton could have stopped this one, but instead cut him loose to reoffend over and over again, putting more children at risk. #Disgraceful,” Cornyn wrote in a May 16 post about his then-challenger.
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The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) said in a statement that Ken Paxton is “so corrupt that even his own party tried to remove him from office,” referring to his 2023 impeachment by the Republican-controlled Texas House, which approved 20 articles against him. The Senate acquitted him. Paxton has repeatedly dismissed the impeachment and other allegations as politically motivated.
DSCC spokesperson Monica Robinson told Newsweek in an email on Wednesday, "Republicans are now stuck with scandal-plagued Ken Paxton as their nominee after they spent nearly $100 million to try and avoid their nightmare scenario. Texans are going to learn about Paxton’s corruption — from being impeached by his own party for alleged bribery and abuse of office, to increasing his wealth by 7,000% and becoming a multimillionaire in office, to cheering on the agenda that’s spiking the cost of gas, groceries, and health care across the state."
Accusations of bribery tinged with infidelity also circulated during the impeachment trial, with one of the articles stating that Paxton “benefited from Nate Paul’s employment of a woman with whom Paxton was having an extramarital affair.” His wife, state Senator Angela Paxton, filed for divorce in 2025, following “recent discoveries” and citing “biblical grounds.”
In 2020, a group of people who worked with Paxton reported him to the FBI, alleging that he was abusing his office to prop up Paul, a political donor and real estate investor. Some of the workers resigned, and others were fired, leading to a suit under the Texas Whistleblower Act. Years later, in 2025, a Travis County district court judge concluded the aides were improperly fired and awarded them $6.6 million. Paxton initially filed an appeal but then dropped it after announcing his Senate campaign.
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In 2015, Paxton was indicted on felony securities fraud charges, which, had he been convicted, would have carried decades in prison. Earlier, he was accused of misleading investors.
“Talarico will highlight Paxton’s ethical and legal controversies during his political career stating back to his fraud indictment in 2015 and leading up to a high profile extra marital affair that led to his divorce. They will also highlight all allegations of corruption involved in his 2023 impeachment on charges of bribery, abusive office and obstruction,” Rottinghaus said.
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