Democratic Senate hopeful James Talarico highlights 21 Republican endorsements against Ken Paxton

Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico announced that he has earned the support of 21 Republican figures, most of whom are former officeholders such as Bennett Ratliff, Todd Smith and Jimmie Don Aycock, with the sole current official being councilman James Edge of Bryan. The endorsements also feature former Illinois Rep. Adam Kinzinger and David Maxwell, who previously served as Paxton’s law-enforcement director before reporting him to the FBI.

Talarico is positioning himself as a unifying alternative to Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has attacked him as a “socialist” and the most radical Democrat in Texas history. The race is viewed as a tight midterm contest, with Paxton’s right-leaning record contrasted against Talarico’s appeal to centrist voters. Federal Election Commission data released at the end of June show Talarico with about $21.5 million cash on hand, while Paxton holds roughly $1.75 million, though Paxton recently added a $10 million boost from MAGA Inc. Both candidates are seeking to sway independent and moderate voters in a state that has historically favored Republicans.