James Talarico needles Ken Paxton amid GOP midterm convention

Democrat James Talarico may have no official role in the GOP’s Dallas convention, but the Texas Senate candidate is countering the two-day event with campaign tactics meant to draw in new supporters and provoke Republican rival Ken Paxton.

Talarico is pivoting toward the center in the toss-up race by releasing a steady drip of across-the-aisle endorsements and moderating his stances using Fox News, a network frequently watched by Republicans, to walk back some of his past controversial remarks on gender.

At the same time, GOP donors and supporters have descended on Dallas to attend a first-of-its-kind midterm convention spanning Wednesday and Thursday to gin up enthusiasm and money for battleground candidates like Paxton, the Texas attorney general.

“I want to earn the trust and support of every Fox viewer, and it’s why I’ve been on Fox News several times. It’s why I’m going to be on more before Election Day,” Talarico told the outlet Wednesday just miles away from the convention on its first day and shortly before Paxton’s speech. “Whether you’re a little more conservative or a little more progressive, we are all getting screwed by the billionaire mega donors who are partying with corrupt politicians in the convention hall down the street.”

Talarico, a state representative, walked back past statements that there are six biological sexes, that “God is nonbinary,” and that transgender athletes should be allowed to play in women’s sports. He came out in support of a ban for transgender surgeries on minors and labeled himself a “border security Democrat.”

“Let me say something a lot of Democrats won’t say: It is not racist to want to know who’s coming into your country,” Talarico said.

As for whether he’d flip-flop again once in office, Talarico made the case that voters “shouldn’t believe anything a politician says” and Texans should instead “put my record up against Ken Paxton’s.”

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Texas state Rep. James Talarico speaks at a food drive at the Frederick Douglass Human Services and Justice Center, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026, in Dallas. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

On the eve of the convention’s kickoff, Talarico unveiled an endorsement Tuesday from a former top law enforcement official under Paxton who was fired for reporting his ex-boss to the FBI in 2020 for alleged bribery. On Thursday, Talarico announced endorsements from 21 current and former Republican officials.

Republicans are betting culture war issues can overcome economic pain this cycle. That mindset was laid out on the first day of the convention, particularly in attacks against Talarico as he runs to the center to retract what he calls “provocative” positions he no longer believes.

Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO), one of the House Democrats sent to Texas by leadership to counterprogram the convention, described Talarico’s strategy as an effective one to expand the party’s coalition.

“We lost 90% of U.S. counties in the fall of 2024. That’s not going to work,” Crow told the Washington Examiner in Dallas. “That’s not a winning coalition. We can’t have majorities. We can’t govern. We can’t protect our democracy. We can’t do all the things we want to do for Americans if we’re losing 90% of U.S. counties.”

Inside the convention, Talarico is among the most mentioned Democrats by Republican speakers as the party itches to defeat him. But Paxton’s political baggage of personal controversaries and a state impeachment trial, along with a cash-strapped campaign compared to Talarico’s deep coffers, has national Republicans worried the longtime conservative seat could flip. Or at the very least, it will cost them tens of millions of dollars to successfully defend. That’s money they could be spending on competitive Senate contests elsewhere, such as Michigan, North Carolina, Georgia, Maine, Alaska, Ohio, and New Hampshire.

“He is the most radical Democrat in Texas history, but he’s also the most well-funded,” Paxton said of Talarico in his Wednesday night speech. “And that’s why today, I need your prayers, your votes, and your support. If we lose Texas, we lose the commonsense revolution.”

TRUMP MAKES CONVENTION PITCH FOR PAXTON: YOU MAY NOT LIKE HIS LOOKS, BUT HE’S THE BEST AG IN TEXAS HISTORY

Hours later, President Donald Trump made an unconventional appeal for Paxton by doubling down on his distaste for Paxton’s appearance and demeanor while lauding his work as the Lone Star State’s top law enforcement official.

“He may not dress right, he may not talk exactly perfectly, and he may not be the best-looking guy I’ve ever seen,” Trump said. “But you know what he is? He’s the greatest attorney general in America, and he deserves to be your next senator.”

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