Ken Paxton’s Controversies Take Center Stage in His Texas Senate Matchup with James Talarico
Recent polls and betting markets show James Talarico within striking distance as Democrats seek their first statewide Texas win since 1994.
- On Tuesday, state Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated incumbent Senator John Cornyn with 62 percent of the vote, securing the Republican Senate nomination after President Donald Trump endorsed him as a 'MAGA Warrior who has ALWAYS delivered for Texas.'
- When neither candidate reached the 50 percent threshold in March's primary, a runoff became necessary; Trump pressured party leadership and attacked House Speaker Dade Phelan, who had overseen Paxton's 2023 impeachment, before endorsing him on May 19.
- Paxton faced felony securities fraud charges beginning in 2015 that ended in a March 2024 pretrial agreement, a $6.6 million whistleblower judgment in 2025, and 2023 impeachment on 16 corruption articles—including bribery allegations tied to an extramarital affair—from which the state Senate acquitted him.
- Democratic nominee James Talarico labeled Paxton 'The Most Corrupt Politician in America,' while recent polls show the race tied at 45 percent each among 1,223 voters surveyed between April 22 and May 6, with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee arguing Paxton is 'so corrupt that even his own party tried to remove him from office.'
- The November election will test whether Democrats can flip Texas, a state they have not carried statewide since the 21st century; Talarico, a Presbyterian pastor and former teacher, relies on gains in blue-shifting suburbs around Austin, Dallas and Houston after opposing GOP redistricting efforts in 2025.
27 Articles
27 Articles
Trump may regret endorsement after Texans send stinging message to White House in new poll
President Donald Trump boasted Wednesday about his success in endorsing winning candidates following the victory of Texas’ controversial attorney general Ken Paxton, but according to a new poll, the president may end up regretting his endorsement in that race.Conducted by the Democratic Party-affiliated polling firm Public Policy Polling, which was previously ranked by The Wall Street Journal as among the most accurate polling firms, Paxton – no…
NEW: Texas Dem Nominee Faces Tough Challenge Against MAGA Republican Titan
The recent Democratic primary in Texas marks a notable moment in the state’s political landscape as James Talarico emerges as the nominee for the U.S. Senate. His victory sets the stage for a crucial election against a Republican candidate expected to be Ken Paxton. This development reflects ongoing battles within the party and broader ideological divides that shape Texas politics. Talarico, a former Texas House member focused on education, posi…
Texas’s Senate Race Will Be a Referendum On Healthcare
So Texas Republicans have, by a huge margin, rejected Sen. John Cornyn, a hardline conservative whose great failing, from Donald Trump’s point of view, was that he occasionally took stands on principle. To replace him they chose the scandal-ridden, deeply corrupt Texas attorney general Ken Paxton, who received Trump’s endorsement precisely because of his vices. Paxton’s rottenness makes him a Trump kindred spirit and also guarantees that he will…
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