Paxton Mocks Talarico With Vegan Jabs Before June 3 Runoff as Trump’s Backing Reshapes Texas Race
Updated
Updated · CNN · May 25
Paxton Mocks Talarico With Vegan Jabs Before June 3 Runoff as Trump’s Backing Reshapes Texas Race
4 articles · Updated · CNN · May 25
At a Katy barbecue rally, Ken Paxton tested nicknames for Democrat James Talarico and repeatedly cast him as a vegan outsider, sharpening general-election attacks even before Tuesday’s GOP Senate runoff.
Trump’s endorsement has made Paxton the clear front-runner against Sen. John Cornyn, and both Trump and pro-Paxton allies are already amplifying lines about Talarico being “weird” and unelectable in Texas.
The ridicule builds on broader Republican efforts to define Talarico through culture-war flashpoints, including his past comment that there are six biological sexes, while Paxton says he is ready to unite Republicans afterward.
Talarico has brushed off the vegan claim with humor — including a turkey-leg photo — while trying to keep his campaign centered on corruption, cost-of-living issues and a broader Democratic coalition.
The early barrage shows Republicans moving to shift attention from Paxton’s scandals toward Talarico, even as some GOP figures still warn that party unity and voter apathy could shape November.
Can record fundraising and turnout overcome decades of one-party dominance in Texas?