HUNT VALLEY, Md. (TNND) — The Democratic Party delivered an insulting response to a distasteful taunt by White House advisor Stephen Miller on Wednesday.
Miller said in a social media post earlier in the day that the party has nominated its first transgender Senate candidate, a jab at Texas state Representative James Talarico. The nominee, who is cisgender, has supported LGBTQ+ causes.
“Shut up you ugly f**k,” the Democratic National Committee replied on X.
The ugly exchange will likely be the first of many around the Senate race as the November election approaches. Talarico and state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who won the Republican primary runoff on Tuesday, have already begun attacking each other through social media and the press.
“Ken Paxton is the most corrupt politician in America, and it is costing Texans, endangering children, and it must end,” Talarico said in a Wednesday CBS News interview. “I think the Epstein class has no place in Texas.”
The lawmaker has called attention to a plea deal Paxton’s office offered last month to an attorney accused of sexual abuse, a proposal Talarico has likened to favorable treatment given to Jeffrey Epstein and his associates. Paxton’s campaign team didn’t comment on Talarico’s remarks when reached by The National News Desk on Thursday.
The attorney general has also surfaced controversial actions taken by his opponent, comparing them in an ad released Wednesday to ideas he says are more accepted by Texans.
“James Talarico is a threat to everything we hold dear,” Paxton captioned the video. “This is Texas, and we will fight to protect it.”
The attorney general’s existential tone provides a glimpse into the mindset of a Republican Party increasingly concerned about its chances in the midterm elections. The GOP’s failure to continue producing substantial legislative victories, as well as the Trump administration’s unpopularity, has allowed Democratic challengers to skew a previously positive Republican trajectory.
Talarico has polled even with Paxton in some polls and ahead in others. A victory by the lawmaker would further complicate the GOP’s attempt to keep control of the Senate, which Democrats, in a four-seat deficit, are growing more confident about taking.
Graham Platner, the presumptive Democratic nominee in Maine’s race, had a commanding lead over incumbent Republican Susan Collins in a survey conducted last weekend. Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, a Democrat, also has a solid chance at replacing retiring GOP Senator Thom Tillis. Strong performances by the Democratic nominees in Michigan and Ohio could secure a blue-tinted chamber.
Do you have questions, concerns or tips? Send them to Ray at rjlewis@sbgtv.com.