Stage set for intense Texas Senate race between James Talarico and Ken Paxton
DALLAS - After a commanding win for Ken Paxton in the Republican Senate runoff election, the stage is now set for an intense general election between Paxton and his upstart opponent, Democrat James Talarico.
Republican Senate nominee: Ken Paxton
What they're saying:
Texas AG Ken Paxton won the Republican nomination over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn for November's general election on Tuesday night.
Paxton won with 62.6% of the vote, according to the Associated Press. He unseated Cornyn, a four-term Senator, after receiving President Donald Trump's endorsement a week before the runoff.
"When everyone in Washington told him to abandon me and abandon the people of Texas, he didn’t listen," said Paxton following his win. "Instead, President Trump gave me his Complete and Total Endorsement. President Trump is the leader of our party, and his endorsement is the most powerful force in politics. I am honored to have his support, and I look forward to working with him in the Senate to deliver for Texas."
Paxton wasted little time in attacking his opponent following Tuesday's win.
"He is a threat to our way of life and our values. He is a vegan who thinks God is nonbinary and there are six biological sexes," Paxton said.
"It's hard to imagine someone more radical than that. No matter what he says or how much he raises, the reality is James Talarico is going to be nothing more than a puppet for Chuck Schumer and the national Democrats."
On Wednesday, Paxton released a new ad attacking Talarico.
Democratic Senate nominee: James Talarico
What they're saying:
Talarico, a Texas State Rep., defeated U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett for the Democratic nomination for Senate in the March 3 primary with 53% of the vote.
"The number of Texans who have never voted before but showed up for this election is unprecedented," Talarico said on March 3. "The number of independents and Republicans who voted in this Democratic primary is unprecedented. This is proof that there is something happening in Texas."
Talarico reacts to Paxton's nomination for US Senate
Democratic state Rep. James Talarico shared a video to social media Tuesday night reacting to Texas AG Ken Paxton being nominated as his opponent for the November election.
Talarico called Paxton "the most corrupt politician in America" shortly after the AP called the race in Paxton's favor on Tuesday.
"Something just happened in Texas," Talarico began the video. "The most corrupt politician in America just became the Republican nominee for the United States Senate."
Talarico spoke to FOX 4's Steven Dial following Paxton's win, saying he's looking forward to "prosecuting the case against" Paxton over the coming months.
"I've served for four terms. In the state house, I brought Democrats and Republicans together to pass 60 bipartisan bills, to lower property taxes, to lower housing costs, to lower prescription drug costs, including insulin," Talarico said.
"Ken Paxton doesn't have a legislative record. He has a criminal record. And I look forward to prosecuting the case against him in the weeks and months ahead.
On Wednesday, Talarico announced the "The People vs. Ken Paxton Tour," a five-city campaign tour across the state of Texas, including in Plano next week.
Talarico also released a new political ad on Wednesday morning.
Dig deeper:
A Democrat has not won a statewide election in Texas in over 30 years. The last Democratic Senator from Texas was in 1993, when Robert Krueger was appointed to replace Lloyd Millard Bentsen.
SMU Political Scientist Matthew Wilson talked to Dial about the uphill battle Talarico will have to change the party's fortunes in the Lone Star State.
"Texas voters, on a couple of occasions, knowing a lot about Ken Paxton's ethical lapses, have still opted for Paxton over Democratic opponents," Wilson said.
"Democrats have to hope that the midterm struggles of the incumbent party will be enough to make a difference this time."
Ken Paxton (left) and James Talarico (Getty Images)
What's next:
Paxton and Talarico will go head-to-head on Nov. 3. Paxton has largely campaigned on his alignment with Trump, while Talarico stands on a progressive populist campaign that is focused on increasing taxes on billionaires and strengthening public education.
The Source: Information in this story comes from Ken Paxton and James Talarico's campaigns and FOX 4 reporting.