Talarico touts GOP support for Senate campaign

Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico on Thursday touted endorsements from 21 current and former Republican officials and party leaders ahead of his November faceoff against state Attorney General Ken Paxton (R).

The endorsements come from former members of Congress, Texas state lawmakers and other officials, with several citing Paxton directly as their reason for crossing party lines.

“As a Republican, I believe in faith, family, the rule of law, and holding public officials accountable when they betray the public trust,” Bryan City Council member and Mayor Pro Tem James Edge (R) said in a statement. “I will support plenty of Republicans this November, but I cannot vote for Ken Paxton.”

The group, dubbed Republicans for Talarico, includes former Dallas Mayor Steve Bartlett, former Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) and retired Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Phillips.

“I’m proud to welcome Republicans into this campaign to take power back for working people — because the real fight in this country is not left versus right, it’s top versus bottom,” Talarico said in a statement announcing the endorsements.

One of the founding members of the group is David Maxwell, a former Texas Ranger who served as director of law enforcement in Paxton’s attorney general office. He was one of the senior officials who reported Paxton to the FBI in 2020, accusing him of bribery and abuse of office.

Paxton was later impeached in 2023 in the state House, though he was later acquitted by the Texas Senate.

The cross-party endorsements come as the key Senate race draws increased national attention and spending. MAGA Inc., the political group aligned with President Trump, recently launched a $10 million television ad buy to support Paxton in the race.

Democrats have not held a Senate seat in Texas in decades. But polling shows Talarico, who recently said he does not support transgender athletes playing in girls’ sports if it is not safe or fair, has a solid chance of flipping the seat for the party, and the nonpartisan Cook Political Report has rated the race as a toss-up.