Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-TX) isn't playing defense. With less than a week until the Texas Republican Senate runoff, the attorney general is on the attack, dismissing his primary opponent's strategy, questioning his Democratic challenger's fit for the state, and leaning hard into a fresh presidential endorsement.
Speaking on Fox News, AG Paxton didn't hold back on words about State Rep. James Talarico (D-TX), the Democrat looking to flip the seat in November.
"Once people know his views on the issues, I don't think there's a place for him to get elected statewide here in Texas; maybe in California, his views would be accepted," Paxton said. "I cannot imagine that once people hear him talk and know what he believes, that he's gonna get elected in Texas."
Coming for Both Opponents
Then he turned his aim at Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). The incumbent has repeatedly questioned whether Paxton can win a general election, a line of attack Paxton called out as hollow.
"This is the John Cornyn talking point because he doesn't have anything to run on," Paxton shot back. "His only talking point has been basically that I can't win a general election. There's no proof of that; the polls say just the opposite. I either do just as well as John Cornyn, or I do better."
As for Talarico, Paxton argued the Democrat simply hasn't been tested yet. "He wasn't really vetted; there wasn't a serious opponent for him in the Democratic primary," Paxton said. "Once Talarico has been vetted, I am convinced that Texans will reject what he's pushing."
Fueling Paxton's momentum is an endorsement from President Donald Trump, who took to Truth Social to call the attorney general "an America First Patriot" and champion his support for terminating the filibuster and passing the Save America Act.
Still, President Trump's backing is no guarantee; his endorsements have not always translated into wins at the ballot box.
Neither Paxton nor Cornyn cleared the threshold needed to avoid a runoff after the March primary. Voters head back to the polls on May 26, with the winner set to face Talarico and Libertarian candidate Ted Brown in November.
