Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (AP)
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton told Newsmax on Wednesday that Democrat James Talarico is running competitively in the traditionally Republican state because voters have yet to learn about what Paxton characterized as his opponent’s socialist record.
“Talarico has a chance because no one has covered him,” Paxton said on “Greg Kelly Reports.” “He went on Joe Rogan and got famous.
“People of Texas haven’t been educated on his socialist views. Once we expose him for what he is, there’s no way he’s going to win Texas.”
The race for Texas’ open U.S. Senate seat has emerged as an unexpectedly close contest in a state Republicans have dominated statewide for decades.
Recent polling has shown Paxton and Talarico within single digits of each other, with some surveys giving Talarico a narrow advantage and others showing Paxton slightly ahead.
The competitiveness is notable in Texas, where Republicans have won every statewide election since the 1990s. The Cook Political Report has moved the Senate contest from “Lean Republican” to “Toss-Up,” underscoring the possibility of a genuinely competitive general election.
Paxton argued Wednesday that Talarico’s current standing reflects his growing national profile rather than Texans embracing his political positions.
Talarico, a state representative from the Austin area, has drawn increased attention nationally, including through an appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast.
Paxton said Talarico doesn’t want to talk about his record of focusing on “socialist Democrat things,” predicting that increased scrutiny of the Democrat’s positions will ultimately move voters toward Republicans.
The attorney general enters the general election with the backing of President Donald Trump, who has called Paxton “the best attorney general in the United States.”
Paxton also used his Newsmax appearance to highlight election integrity as one of the issues he intends to prioritize in Washington.
Paxton said the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, known as the SAVE America Act, “is near and dear” to his heart, adding that Republicans “will lose the country” if the legislation isn’t passed and saying voting needs to be “credible and fair.”
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