Texas Senate Race Sees Masculinity-Themed Attacks from Paxton on Talarico
A Texas U.S. Senate general election race has drawn a series of gendered insults from Republican nominee Ken Paxton against Democrat James Talarico, according to NPR. Paxton, who won the Republican primary, mocked Talarico with nicknames such as “tofu Talarico,” “six-gender Jimmy,” and “Low-T Talarico” in a speech, and released an ad calling him “too low-T for Texas.” White House advisor Stephen Miller falsely called Talarico transgender and said “soy milk” would come out in a blood test, while Florida congressional candidate Dan Weldon questioned his masculinity by doubting his knowledge of football. Fox host Jesse Watters called Talarico a “gay vegan” but clarified he is neither. Talarico has denied being vegan or transgender, noting he eats meat and referenced Paxton’s 2015 indictment. Political analysts and strategists interviewed offer mixed views on the effectiveness of such attacks, with one Republican strategist suggesting they may appeal to some Texas voters and a progressive strategist calling them negligible. The article notes that the language echoes President Trump’s past tactics and reflects a broader shift in political discourse toward explicit masculinity claims.
What’s reported
Ken Paxton defeated John Cornyn in the Texas Republican Senate primary and now faces Democrat James Talarico in the general election.
Paxton called Talarico “tofu Talarico,” “six-gender Jimmy,” “James Talafreako,” and “Low-T Talarico,” and released an ad labeling him “too low-T for Texas.”
White House advisor Stephen Miller falsely claimed Talarico is transgender and mocked him with a “soy milk” comment on Fox News.
Florida congressional candidate Dan Weldon questioned Talarico’s masculinity by saying he “couldn’t name a single obscure wide receiver from the early 2000s.”
Fox host Jesse Watters called Talarico a “gay vegan” but then added he is “not gay and not vegan.”
Talarico in a 2022 reelection speech said his campaign had become “non-meat” and was buying only vegan products; he has since said he eats meat.
Talarico in 2021 said “modern science acknowledges six biological variations based on chromosomes” to argue sex is a spectrum, but later told CBS News he knows there are two sexes and that people with chromosomal abnormalities deserve dignity.
Republican strategist Brendan Steinhauser said the attacks may appeal to Texans who value “traditional masculinity,” while progressive strategist Cliff Walker said the impact is likely negligible and accused Paxton of “grasping at straws.”
Political scientist Dan Cassino noted the explicit language about testosterone levels and manosphere terminology leaking into mainstream political dialogue.
Both Talarico’s and Paxton’s campaigns declined to comment on the record.
Conflicting accounts
Sean Steinhauser (Republican strategist) said the masculinity attacks may help win over some conservative Texas voters who value “rugged individualism” and traditional masculinity.
Cliff Walker (progressive strategist) said the number of voters who would base a decision on such messaging is “negligible” and that Paxton is trying to distract from his scandals.
Stephen Miller falsely stated that Talarico is transgender and a vegan; Talarico is neither.
Open questions
How effective the masculinity-focused attacks will be in the general election.
Whether Talarico’s responses will counter the negative messaging.
Misconceptions
Talarico is not transgender, not gay, and not vegan, despite false claims by Miller and Watters.
Talarico’s 2022 comment about a “non-meat campaign” referred to campaign purchases, not his personal diet; he has since said he eats meat.
Key figures
Ken Paxton – Texas Attorney General, Republican Senate nominee
James Talarico – Texas state representative, Democratic Senate nominee
Stephen Miller – White House advisor
Dan Weldon – Florida Republican congressional candidate
Jesse Watters – Fox News host
Brendan Steinhauser – Texas Republican strategist
Cliff Walker – Texas progressive strategy firm worker
Dan Cassino – Political scientist at Fairleigh Dickinson University
President Donald Trump – referenced as precedent for manhood contests
Sources: NPR
