Texas state Rep. James Talarico, the state’s Democratic nominee for Senate, is touting cross-party endorsements he’s received from 21 current and former Republican officials in his campaign against the GOP nominee, state Attorney General Ken Paxton.
“We’re bringing Texans together onto one team to take power back for working people. Because the real fight in this country isn’t left versus right — it’s top versus bottom,” Talarico said in a statement announcing the endorsements.
Talarico and Paxton are facing off in a toss-up race that many pundits expect to be one of the closest races of the midterm elections. The two candidates have sparred since Paxton won the GOP runoff against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), with Paxton hitting Talarico as too left-wing for Texas, while Talarico has focused on Paxton’s record as attorney general and his ethics scandals.
Talarico’s Republican endorsements include mostly former officials, such as former state Reps. Bennett Ratliff, Todd Smith, and Jimmie Don Aycock, though it includes one current officeholder, Republican councilman James Edge of Bryan, Texas. Talarico also touted the backing of former Republican Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger and David Maxwell, who was Paxton’s director of law enforcement before reporting him to the FBI.
Both Cornyn and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) won their most recent general elections by 8 points, and President Donald Trump won Texas in 2024 for the third time by nearly 14 points. However, Democrats are hoping that Paxton’s record, which is further to the right than Cornyn’s, will help Talarico shore up some middle-ground voters.
Talarico is one of several 2026 candidates in purple states touting cross-party endorsements in an apparent attempt to pull independent voters. Candidates such as Rob Sand, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee in Iowa, have also released lists of endorsements they’ve received from across the aisle.
But at the same time, Paxton is aiming to highlight how Talarico’s past comments suggest he is further to the left than he claims. Paxton called him a “socialist” with “crazy ideas” during his speech at the GOP convention in Dallas on Wednesday evening.
“He is the most radical Democrat in Texas history, but he’s also the most well-funded,” Paxton said about Talarico. “And that’s why today, I need your prayers, your votes, and your support. If we lose Texas, we lose the commonsense revolution. If we lose the commonsense revolution, we lose America.”
CANDIDATES IN PURPLE STATES TOUT CROSS-PARTY ENDORSEMENTS IN APPEAL TO MARGINAL VOTERS
According to Federal Election Commission data from the end of June, Talarico has about $21.5 million in cash on hand, while Paxton has about $1.75 million. Paxton, however, just notched a $10 million boost from MAGA Inc. toward his campaign.
The Washington Examiner has reached out to Paxton for comment.