Ken Paxton Targets James Talarico in 2026 Texas Senate Race After Runoff Win

5 articles · Updated · NPR · May 30

Ken Paxton moved quickly into the general election after winning Texas's Republican Senate primary runoff, attacking Democratic nominee James Talarico as "too low-T for Texas."
The swipe put masculinity and "manhood" at the center of the 2026 Senate contest, signaling an aggressive cultural line of attack rather than an early policy-focused message.
James Talarico, a Democratic state representative, now faces Paxton in a race that is already taking shape as a sharp, personality-driven clash in Texas.

Can a campaign focused on corruption defeat one centered on cultural identity attacks?