Texas Senate race set as Paxton wins GOP runoff, will face Talarico

The Story

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton won the Republican nomination in a primary runoff Tuesday, defeating incumbent Senator John Cornyn with a landslide after an endorsement from President Trump. He will face Democratic nominee James Talarico in the general election, a race expected to be one of the most expensive and high-profile on the map.

Key Facts

• Ken Paxton is completing his third term as Texas Attorney General and has faced a securities fraud indictment, an impeachment vote in 2023 centered on using his power to help a real estate investor, and a divorce from state Senator Angela Paxton involving allegations of infidelity.
• James Talarico is a 37-year-old Democrat first elected to the Texas state House by defeating a Republican incumbent in a district considered red.
• Paxton, during his victory speech, called Talarico “the most extreme radical the Democrats have ever nominated” and said he is “running a vegan campaign.” Talarico posted a picture of himself eating a turkey leg to disprove the vegan claim.
• Talarico released an ad targeting Paxton’s past controversies, stating that Paxton “was impeached by his own party for using his public office to enrich himself and his donors.”
• About 1.4 million people cast ballots in the runoff; the general election is expected to draw closer to 8 million voters.
• Texas is described as deep red, and Democrats have not won statewide office there in decades.
• Paxton is characterized as polarizing, and Talarico’s best hope is to attract voters who supported Cornyn to switch parties.

Conflicting Reports

No conflicting reports identified in the source article.

Still Unclear

Whether Republicans as a whole will back Paxton in the general election, and whether Talarico can sway enough Cornyn voters to win.

Misconceptions

Paxton’s claim that Talarico is running a vegan campaign is not true; Talarico posted a photo of himself eating a turkey leg to disprove it.

Key Figures

Ken Paxton – Texas Attorney General and Republican Senate nominee James Talarico – Democratic Senate nominee John Cornyn – Incumbent Republican Senator who lost the runoff Angela Paxton – Republican state Senator and Ken Paxton’s wife Blaise Gainey – Reporter for The Texas Newsroom Scott Detrow – NPR host

Sources: NPR