Democrat James Talarico (pictured left) and Republican Ken Paxton (pictured right) are in a Nov. 3 election for U.S. Senate in Texas.
Abigail Dollins
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, and state Rep. James Talarico, a Democrat, are in a high-profile race for U.S. Senate, after Paxton defeated incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in a May GOP primary runoff.
The race and candidates have been under a microscope this campaign season, as Republicans fight to keep control of Congress. The winner of the Nov. 3 election will serve a six-year term in Washington.
We asked the candidates about their plans for affordability, national security, immigration, AI and more. Here’s how they responded to the Star-Telegram’s candidate questionnaire.
Early voting runs Oct. 19-30.
Ken Paxton
Party: Republican
Did not respond to candidate questionnaire.
James Talarico
Party: Democrat
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Age: 37
Campaign website: jamestalarico.com
Best way for voters to reach you: info@jamestalarico.com
Occupation: Texas State Representative and Presbyterian seminarian
Education: University of Texas at Austin, Harvard University, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Have you run for elected office before?
Yes. Texas State House of Representatives (2018, 2020, 2022, 2024)
Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in Texas.
Texas State Representative
Former Teacher, Rhodes Middle School
Passed legislation to lower the cost of prescriptions by capping insulin at $25 and importing cheaper prescription drugs from Canada
Passed legislation to lower the cost of early childhood education by giving a property tax break to child care centers
Passed legislation to lower the cost of housing by allowing for single-stair units
Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? If yes, please explain.
No
Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? If yes, please explain.
No
What is the biggest challenge facing the country? How would you address it?
The biggest challenge our country faces is the cost of living.
The richest 1% of Americans now own more wealth than the entire middle class. Dozens of the largest corporations pay zero dollars in federal income taxes. They lobby for policies that cut their own taxes while raising taxes on all of us. And they lobby against regulations that would stop them from monopolizing markets and artificially jacking up prices.
We need a government that serves working people. We need a government that rolls back the barriers keeping us from living the American dream. We can end the tax loopholes that allow billionaires and giant corporations to cut their own taxes while raising taxes on all of us. We can use that money to pass a cost-of-living tax cut, fully fund public schools, and give every Texan a fair shot at a good job and the American dream. We can raise the minimum wage, lower the cost of health insurance and prescription drugs, increase access to homeownership, and so much more.
Why are you seeking this office?
Before I was a politician, I was a public school teacher. The Texas Legislature had just gutted the public education budget by $5 billion, directly hurting my students. In the richest country on the planet, I knew it was unacceptable for public services to be slashed like that — so I ran for office to fight back.
I led the fight against the billionaire-backed voucher scam that aims to defund our public schools to subsidize private education for the wealthiest Texans. I’ve passed bills to lower the cost of prescription drugs, child care, and housing.
Now I’m running for the US Senate to take back power for working Texans. As a Presbyterian seminarian and the grandson of a Baptist preacher, I’m called to public service to fight for the people of Texas — no matter what it takes.
What are your top 3 policy priorities if elected?
Fighting Corruption: As a U.S. Senator, I will prioritize legislation to cap campaign contributions at every level of government, ban super PACs, and ban partisan gerrymandering so that every American has an equal say in our politics.
Cost of Living: My agenda closes tax loopholes and makes the wealthiest Americans and giant corporations pay their fair share so that we can lower costs for the rest of us. I am proposing a cost-of-living tax cut that will expand the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit, restore the ACA Tax Credits, and provide a tariff rebate to Americans who have been paying too much for everything.
Public Schools: I am committed to strengthening our public schools and fighting back against a national voucher scam that will defund schools. I’ll fight for universal early childhood education and ensure childcare is affordable for low- and middle-income families. I’ll prioritize policies that recruit and retain high-quality teachers.
How will you measure your success as a senator?
I will measure my success by how I’m able to fight for Texas families and meet their needs. Texans are my boss, and I hope they hold me accountable.
I have held the strong belief over the course of my legislative career that good governance depends on deep listening and honest dialogue, and that is why my office in the Texas House has the reputation of welcoming people from every community to have a voice in our office and our policy-making.
I am continuing this commitment by holding regular town halls across the state to give Texans an avenue to engage with me directly in person. I’ve already been meeting Texans where they are. In this campaign, I’ve been crisscrossing the state, barnstorming in every community to ensure the people I am fighting to serve have a direct line of communication to me. In the Senate, I would want all 30 million Texans to know that they have a friend and a fighter in me.
Why should voters choose you over your opponent(s)?
I’ve spent my career in public service. I’m a former middle school teacher, and I’ve served in the Texas House for eight years. As a legislator, I’ve proven that I can fight — and win.
I’ve gone toe-to-toe with both colleagues and billionaire mega-donors to stop harmful legislation. I’ve passed ambitious legislation to make life better for Texans. And I’ve shown that I know how to communicate about the issues and saturate the press and social media to inform voters about what’s happening in the halls of power.
I’ve passed bills to lower the cost of prescription drugs, child care, and housing. I’ve led the fight against billionaire mega-donors like Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks, who are spending their fortunes trying to privatize our public schools and force their Christian Nationalist agenda on Texans. I was named a Top 10 Legislator by Texas Monthly magazine for being able to both fight back and get things done. And that’s exactly the kind of legislator Texans need in the U.S. Senate.
What are Texans looking for and wanting most in their senator?
Texans want a Senator who will rein in this corruption in our politics and lower costs for us.
Everywhere I go across this state, Texans are drowning. We can’t afford the basics.
We have an affordability crisis because we have a corruption crisis. Billionaire mega-donors and corporate special interests have been buying politicians in both political parties, and then those politicians turn around and rig this economy to benefit their wealthy donors at our expense.
That’s why I have said my first bill will be a comprehensive anti-corruption agenda. To fix this broken system so we can lower costs for all of us.
I have a track record of bringing down costs. I’ve brought both parties together to pass 60 bipartisan bills — to lower the cost of housing, childcare, and prescription drugs.
In the Senate, I’m going to continue this work — repealing these disastrous tariffs, taking on Big Pharma, and suspending the gas tax so we can put more money back into working Texans’ pockets.
What should Congress do to promote affordability for Americans?
Congress should prioritize everyday Americans over corporations and billionaires.
I will lower grocery costs by holding companies that artificially raise prices accountable,, repealing these crazy new tariffs, and reducing barriers to entry for new grocery providers to increase market competition.
I will stop data centers from driving up costs by guaranteeing that large energy users like data centers fund the infrastructure improvements they need rather than passing those costs on to consumers, end sweetheart tax deals for big tech companies, and empower local communities to decide whether they want a data center in their town.
I will continue lowering housing and utility costs by cutting red tape so we can build more homes and get new energy projects off the ground. I’ll also stop corporate landlords from engaging in market manipulation to artificially hike rents and ban Wall Street from buying up housing stock.
What is the biggest threat to national security? How would you address it as a member of Congress?
I believe the biggest threat to our national security is the rise and collaboration of our foreign adversaries. As our adversaries continue to develop both nuclear and technological weapons, we must deter foreign aggression and invest in innovation and preparedness. We should encourage more cooperation with our foreign allies to build more resilient supply chains to combat inflation, prevent nuclear proliferation, and protect America’s interests both at home and abroad.
We must win the AI race with our foreign adversaries to prevent cyberattacks on our critical infrastructure. I support setting guidelines to safely develop this revolutionary technology at home, while preparing for the technological advances being made abroad. We must harden our power grid, water systems, and financial networks to mitigate cyber vulnerabilities. We must also hold all adversaries accountable when they target American infrastructure and make it clear that we will not tolerate even the smallest attacks.
How should the US wind down the conflict in Iran in a way that protects American interests in the region?
This reckless war has left the American and Iranian people all worse off than before it started. It has cost American lives, put our troops in harm’s way, and driven up prices for Texas families. We must find an end to this disastrous war that ensures Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon and doesn’t continue to cost American taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars. I would support immediate negotiations, backed by strength and clear conditions, to prevent Iran from developing nuclear capabilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. As we work to end the war, we must protect our service members and stand with our international allies, and Congress must vote on any continued military action, as the Constitution requires.
What should Congress do to expand healthcare access and affordability for Americans?
Congress must act to address the skyrocketing costs of health care. I have a proposal called “Medicare for Y’all” that would allow every American to join Medicare, providing an affordable not-for-profit health care option for all, while bringing down costs for those who don’t participate by increasing competition with private insurance.
I will lower prescription drug costs by increasing price transparency and negotiating power to ensure fair pricing, incentivizing the development and approval of generic drugs, instituting caps on out-of-pocket costs, and regulating pharmacy benefit managers to ensure they’re not up-charging patients.
I will protect health coverage and lower premiums by protecting and improving the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and reversing the Trump Administration’s dangerous cuts to the ACA enhanced tax credits, Medicare, and Medicaid that are kicking 15 million Americans off their insurance and raising premiums for millions more.
How would you promote bipartisanship as a member of Congress?
I know how to work across the aisle to pass life-changing legislation. Despite being a Democrat in the Republican-majority legislature, I’ve worked with colleagues from both parties and passed over 60 bipartisan bills. These victories include an insulin co-pay cap, new money for public schools, lowering the cost of health care and child care, opening up mental health programs, connecting young adults to job opportunities, and reforming our juvenile justice system. I know how to do this kind of work because I’ve done it before.
What immigration policies should be prioritized in Congress?
I believe both parties have failed us on the issues of immigration and border security. We need smart, humane policy that’s serious about safety.
I have announced a border security plan endorsed by Republican and Democratic law enforcement from border communities. My plan includes hiring more Border Patrol agents and immigration judges, using modernized surveillance technology, focusing ICE resources on deporting those who mean to do us harm, and stopping this corrupt project to build a border wall through Big Bend that will destroy our national park and local economy, and instead focus on physical barriers where they are actually needed.
We should be cracking down on the cartels, not our communities. We should be deporting gang members, not small business owners. We should be hunting down human traffickers, not moms and babies. We should be stopping illegal immigration, not curtailing avenues for legal immigration that can grow the economy.
What rules, if any, should Congress mandate upon states for election security and voting access?
I’ve said throughout this campaign that the very first set of legislation I will pursue in the U.S. Senate will be an anti-corruption package. To fix this rigged system, I would get Big Money out of our politics by reversing the impact of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling, including by banning super PACs and corporate PACs and capping campaign contributions. I am proud to be the only candidate in this race not taking a dime of corporate PAC money. I would also ban partisan gerrymandering nationwide by establishing independent redistricting commissions so that voters can choose their politicians — not the other way around. Additionally, I would make it easier for citizens to participate in our elections by passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to remove unnecessary barriers to voting.
Do you support President Donald Trump’s plan to distribute $5,000 “Trump dividends”? Why or why not?
I’m all for finding ways to make life more affordable for Americans, but these dividends are a political gimmick.
President Trump said he will give every American $5,000 if Republicans win both chambers in Congress. They already have both chambers — plus the White House. So why do we have to wait until after the election?
I think people are sick and tired of politicians ignoring this affordability crisis, grandstanding on it, instead of lowering our costs and raising our pay in a real way. This decision feels like an election year stunt. People in Texas are drowning. They need real, bipartisan action — they don’t need promises for after Election Day, especially when you already have the power to do it now.
Instead, I’m advocating for a tariff rebate plus reversing these crazy new tariffs — directly refunding families and lowering the cost of living. I also support putting money back in Texans’ pockets by suspending the gas tax and passing a cost-of-living tax cut.
How should Congress regulate the development and deployment of AI?
Our government has a role to play in ensuring technology makes our lives easier, safer, and more productive. America should be the world’s innovation leader — but it shouldn’t come at the cost of our children’s safety, our workers’ livelihoods, or the reliability of the news we consume.
We need government to catch up with the speed of AI development – and ensure that technological advances aren’t outpacing legal protections. Companies are developing and deploying these models faster than ever – all with outdated guardrails to make sure our data is safe and secure.
Our top priority must be to make sure these tools are safe, people are put first, and the data centers that power them are decided on our terms – not on those of the companies or the billionaires. I want to pass common-sense safeguards to keep kids safe online, protect workers from invasive AI surveillance in the workplace, and stop data centers from driving up costs.
Please describe an issue specific to North Texas and how you’d address it as an elected official.
North Texas is one of the fastest-growing areas in the country, but this rapid expansion has driven up costs for working families. To keep up with growth and ensure that every North Texan has a shot at the American Dream, we must prioritize affordable housing and make it easier to start and grow your own small business. As a Senator, I’ll stop market manipulation, expand the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, repeal outdated red tape that hinders the construction of housing, and create a federal task force charged with helping communities use quality, cost-effective options to increase our housing stock. I’ll also work to cut taxes for small, local businesses instead of giant corporations. I’ll expand support for Community Development Financial Institutions and community banks to increase access to credit and capital, broaden eligibility for Small Business Administration loan programs, and support states in providing equity investment and technical assistance for small businesses.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Eleanor (Elly) Dearman is a Texas politics and government reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She’s based in Austin, covering the Legislature and its impact on North Texas. She grew up in Denton and has been a reporter for more than six years.
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