Overview
- James Talarico delivered a populist, anti-corruption speech Friday at the Texas Democratic Convention in Corpus Christi and unveiled a multimillion-dollar general-election ad buy focused on grocery, gas and health costs.
- Ken Paxton’s campaign responded with a hard-hitting attack ad in Corpus Christi that recycles Talarico’s past statements on transgender children, religion, energy policy and taxes to brand him as a radical.
- Republicans are using Talarico’s legislative record on climate and his earlier remarks about faith and transgender youth as the core of their culture-war messaging to sway suburban and independent voters.
- Democrats are stressing Paxton’s legal and ethics vulnerabilities, accusing him of ties to billionaire megadonors and framing the race as a fight over corruption and everyday affordability.
- The contest is now competitive and nationalized, with mixed polls, heavy outside spending and both parties targeting turnout in suburban and working-class parts of Texas.