With Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton knocking 4-term incumbent U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) out of the Senate race in the Republican primary runoff on Tuesday, Democratic challenger James Talarico now knows who he’ll face in November.
Talarico, a popular Texas state representative and devout Christian who has struck a chord nationally, may be able to move slightly to the center against Paxton, whose far-right bona fides were reinforced by a late-stage Donald Trump endorsement that pushed him over the top against Cornyn.
Talarico acknowledged the many disaffected Texas Republicans who may not easily switch their vote from Cornyn to Paxton, and issued an invitation to them in the wake of Paxton’s runoff win. “To Senator Cornyn’s supporters,” Talarico wrote, “you have a place in our campaign.”
I want to thank Senator John Cornyn for his years representing our state.
We don’t agree on everything, but we both still believe in public service.
To Senator Cornyn’s supporters: you have a place in our campaign.
— James Talarico (@jamestalarico) May 27, 2026
[NOTE: Paxton was impeached by the majority of his own party when in 2023 the Republican-led Texas House voted 121-23 to impeach him on allegations of bribery, dereliction of duty, obstruction of justice, and abuse of public trust — in all approving 20 articles of impeachment.]
In a victory speech, Paxton gave a sample of the kinds of ad hominem attacks he plans to aim at Talarico, saying that “some” have called Talarico “Low T” — for low testosterone — and alleging that his opponent, also known as “Tofu Talarico,” is running a “vegan campaign” — a charge that might carry extra condescension in beef-conscious Texas.
Paxton: My opponent is the most extreme radical the Democrats have ever nominated. He’s even running a vegan campaign, whatever that is. Others refer to him as Low-T Talarico. pic.twitter.com/nYQi02lu42
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 27, 2026
In an interview with MediasTouch, Talarico denied the vegan charge with a humorous dig at Paxton’s legal troubles and said he appreciated the early reveal from Paxton’s campaign playbook. “I’m an eighth generation Texan,” he said, “I’ve been eating since before Ken Paxton’s first indictment.”
Talarico added: “If all they have on me is lying about me being a vegan, I feel pretty good about our chances this November.”
Talarico: I’m an eighth-generation Texan. I’ve been eating barbecue since before Ken Paxton’s first indictment. And if all they have on me is lying about me being a vegan, I feel pretty good about our chances this November. pic.twitter.com/9s7WKKdvyB
— Acyn (@Acyn) May 26, 2026
[NOTE: Talarico defeated U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic primary, a result that President Trump said was favorable to Republicans. Trump said he withheld an “avalanche of information” he had on Talarico to ensure he won the primary.]