{"id":187225,"date":"2026-03-02T20:27:07","date_gmt":"2026-03-02T20:27:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/187225\/"},"modified":"2026-03-02T20:27:07","modified_gmt":"2026-03-02T20:27:07","slug":"san-antonio-democrat-says-talarico-has-the-best-chance-against-evil-sob-ken-paxton","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/187225\/","title":{"rendered":"San Antonio Democrat says Talarico has the best chance against \u2018evil SOB\u2019 Ken Paxton\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, speaks at Stable Hall on Sunday. Credit: Michael Karlis<\/p>\n

At a Stable Hall rally on Sunday, State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, said U.S. Senate hopeful James Talarico has the party\u2019s best chance at defeating Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in November\u2019s election for the contested seat.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Republicans have] got two guys, [John] Cornyn and [Ken] Paxton,\u201d Gutierrez said. \u201cOne, I used to know and thought he was a good man, and that was a Cornyn. Now, I think he\u2019s just a liar and very much confused. But that other son of a bitch, he sure is evil. I know what\u2019s going to happen on Tuesday. I know that on Tuesday that matchup on the other side is going to be Ken Paxton.\u201d<\/p>\n

The comments came during a rally for Talarico, an Austin state rep who\u2019s in the home stretch for hotly contested Democratic primary<\/a> matchup against U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Dallas. <\/p>\n

Whichever Dem wins the contest will likely face off against Paxton on Cornyn in November. <\/p>\n

Gutierrez, known for headline-grabbing remarks following the mass shooting at his district\u2019s Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, speculated that the scandal-plagued Paxton may have sold his soul to the devil to make it this far in politics.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve sat at the table with this guy,\u201d Gutierrez said. \u201cHe\u2019s not very interesting. Kind of boring. Not a whole lot to say. He\u2019s a crooked SOB, that\u2019s for damn sure.\u201d<\/p>\n

The state senator continued: \u201cHe\u2019s not particularly loyal to his wife, or his family \u2014\u00a0maybe not even his dog. So, I got to thinking \u2014\u00a0how did this guy get so far? And I\u2019ve come up with this theory. My theory is that this ol\u2019 boy, one night in Collin County \u2026 he went to the crossroads, and I think he made a deal with the devil himself. I\u2019m telling you here right now, what better matchup against that evil SOB than James Talarico?\u201d<\/p>\n

The most recent Emerson College polling<\/a> shows Talarico leading 52%-47% in the primary. What\u2019s more, top GOP campaign operatives on Monday told Axios<\/a> that they believe Talarico has the edge over Crrockett, which has them concerned.<\/p>\n

\u201cA Paxton vs. Talarico match in November would be unnecessarily competitive and costly\u201d as Republicans face tight races that could cost them both the House and Senate, one operative told Axios.<\/p>\n

Even so, some of Crockett\u2019s supporters continue to push a narrative that Crockett is racist, Politico reports<\/a>. That sentiment stems from the state rep\u2019s comments to an influencer in which he described former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, who\u2019s Black, as \u201cmediocre.\u201d Talarico has since said he was referring to Allred\u2019s campaigning as \u201cmediocre.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cElectability is rooted in racism,\u201d Fort Worth political activist E.J. Carrion told Politico. \u201cJames [Talarico] is less threatening to people, and I think if just those people who say that actually voted for the most qualified candidate, you wouldn\u2019t have a problem.\u201d<\/p>\n

Talarico pushed back on that notion during his San Antonio rally, telling reporters that he\u2019s trying to build a more inclusive coalition.<\/p>\n

\u201cI completely understand if I\u2019m not Black Texans\u2019 first choice in this race, but I would love to be their close second choice,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd what we\u2019ve seen in our polling is that my approval rating among Black Texans has continued to rise. It\u2019s at the highest point it\u2019s ever been. They may not vote for me in this race, and that\u2019s quite all right. I\u2019m competing for their votes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Polls on Tuesday will be open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. More information about where to vote is available at the Bexar County Elections Department\u2019s website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sign Up for SA Current newsletters.<\/a><\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\u2018No, we won\u2019t fund this nonsense,\u2019 Crockett said on the steps of City Hall. Castro said he wants to \u2018disband ICE\u2019 and impeach Kristi Noem.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"James\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tThere is no recording of the alleged comment, which Talarico said represents a \u2018mischaracterization\u2019 of his words. \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Senate\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tThe stop at Rhodes Middle School, where State Rep. James Talarico once taught, comes as the Democrat fights a competitive primary against U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett. \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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