RNC Chair predicts Texas Senate race will favor Paxton over Talarico

During the Republican Jewish Coalition National Leadership Summit, RNC Chairman Joe Gruters asserted that Texas voters will choose “common sense” by supporting Attorney General Ken Paxton over Democrat James Talarico in the Senate race. He described Texas as a “ruby-red” state and said the GOP will coalesce behind Paxton, who has previously won three statewide contests and recently defeated incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the primary.

Gruters criticized Talarico, using the nickname “Talafreako,” and attacked his stances on issues such as gender identity and bathroom policies, claiming they are too extreme for Texas. He acknowledged the race is within the margin of error but remains confident Paxton will win by a narrow margin. The Cook Political Report lists the contest as a “toss-up,” while Real Clear Polling shows Talarico with a slight lead. Gruters concluded that the Republican base will reject Talarico’s platform.