Democrat James Talarico and Republican Ken Paxton wasted no time appealing to Sen. John Cornyn’s (R-TX) supporters after the longtime incumbent was ousted in a Senate primary runoff against Trump-backed Paxton.
Democrats see a moment ripe for the taking to win over Cornyn-backers after party leaders, save for Trump, openly trashed Paxton as a morally compromised candidate and a weaker general election opponent against the progressive Talarico.
“We don’t agree on everything, but we both still believe in public service,” Talarico posted Tuesday night, along with praise for Cornyn’s nearly 25 years in the Senate. “To Senator Cornyn’s supporters: you have a place in our campaign.”
Paxton, the Texas attorney general, used part of his victory speech after a resounding 28-point win to woo Republicans whose support he lacked but who will be the target of tens of millions of dollars from Democrats to flip the Lone Star State in the November midterm elections. Talarico, a state representative, hauled in $600,000 in just two hours following Paxton’s win.
“No matter who you supported in this race, whether it was me, Senator Cornyn, or you voted for someone different in March, I want to thank every single Texan, and I want to let them know that I want to earn your support,” Paxton said.
Even President Donald Trump, who condemned Cornyn as disloyal after endorsing Paxton in the days leading up to the runoff, made overtures to those who supported the four-term senator. Trump cheered Cornyn on Truth Social for “having run a strong and powerful race but, more importantly, having had a truly great career.”
“John will remain my friend for a long time to come, as we both watch Ken become a fantastic, common sense Senator, one who is respected by all,” he wrote.
Some notable Republicans have already begun to fall in line behind Paxton, including Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY) and Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH), the likely next chairman of the Senate GOP’s campaign arm for the 2028 cycle. For his part, Cornyn made clear he’ll remain a team player and get behind Paxton.
“I’ve spent most of my time in the Senate building the Republican Party in Texas and in the U.S. Senate, and I’ve always supported the Republican ticket,” Cornyn said in an emotional concession speech. “I intend to do so again in this general election.”
However, other Republicans had yet to weigh in, including Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), who for months pleaded with Trump to side with Cornyn. The party’s campaign arm, the National Republican Senatorial Committee, scrubbed old press releases and tweets critical of Paxton as it and other GOP entities prepare to put money behind a candidate they’ve long publicly denounced.
“What these results signaled to centrist [George W. Bush] Republicans is that you no longer have a place in the Texas Republican Party,” Texas-based Democratic strategist Dallas Jones said in an interview. “They need somewhere to go, and I think it’s an opportunity for James Talarico to say, ‘I share your values of faith, family, and a brighter future for tomorrow.’”
A factor working in Paxton’s favor for appealing to those who preferred the more establishment-aligned Cornyn is Talarico’s progressive record, one that Republicans feel makes it easier to convince swing voters he’s too radical for a red state Trump won by 14 points and hasn’t elected a Democratic senator since before the 37-year-old Talarico was born.
“He’s a vegan who thinks God is nonbinary and that there’s actually six biological sexes,” Paxton said in his speech. “It’s hard to imagine someone more radical than that. No matter what he says or how much he raises, the reality is that James Talarico is going to be nothing more than a Texas-based puppet for Chuck Schumer and the National Democrats.”
Previewing his counter message, Talarico called Paxton the “most corrupt politician in America” as he spotlighted the state attorney general’s 2023 impeachment trial on public corruption charges and past criminal indictments.
REPUBLICANS FALL IN LINE BEHIND KEN PAXTON AFTER RESOUNDING VICTORY
“It’s time to come together: The People vs. Ken Paxton,” Talarico said in a video statement.
But in the latest warning sign for Paxton’s viability, nonpartisan election forecasters shifted the race toward Democrats after his nomination. The Texas Senate seat now “leans Republican,” just one column shy of “toss up.” Or put by Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball from the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics: “Texas Republicans roll the dice with Paxton.”