The New York Times this week released the results of a conversation reporters had with 12 Texas swing voters, all of whom voted for Donald Trump in 2024 and are currently feeling disillusioned by the Republican Party and, specifically, by the state’s virulently anti-LGBTQ+ Republican candidate for Senate: Ken Paxton.
Paxton’s opponent, Democrat James Talarico, has a real chance of winning, which would make him the first Democrat elected statewide in Texas in decades. Asked why he has gained so much more momentum than past Democratic candidates, the voters overwhelmingly blamed Paxton and his litany of scandals.
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“They picked the wrong candidate,” said Sebastian, a 50-year-old white utility manager. “It’s him. If they picked anybody else, they would have won. But because they picked him, they stand to lose the state.”
Paxton beat incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary in May in large part due to Donald Trump’s endorsement.
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“Cornyn had Talarico beat over Paxton,” said 50-year-old Jennifer, a white stay-at-home parent. “It’d be, hands down, Cornyn would have won it.”
“Now it’s between Talarico and someone people think is a crook with bad morals,” she added. “People won’t vote for him. And I think Talarico probably will win it.”
The voters were also asked to think of a word that comes to mind when they think of Ken Paxton. Their answers: crook, crooked, bad, amoral, criminal, disgusting, morally corrupt, womanizer, and controversial.
Here’s what some had to say when asked what they think when they hear James Talarico: progressive, neutral, fresh, inspiring, new, and young.
Sebastian said Talarico feels “fresh” because he’s at least trying to avoid finger-pointing and negativity. “Whether you believe in them or not, he’s actually trying to come up with solutions. And it’s just getting away from the corruptness of Paxton and the Republican Party, which I’ve been a long supporter of. There’s nothing wrong with Cornyn. Why we would support Paxton over Cornyn is crazy to me. If it was Cornyn versus him, I would be with Cornyn. But because it’s Talarico versus Paxton, I will be voting for Talarico.”
Though not everyone was as enthused. Lisa, a 53-year-old white technology consultant, called him “ineffective.” Jennifer said, “Same-sex bathrooms in high schools and grade school.” And Pam, a 66-year-old white retiree, responded, “I can’t do one word. I don’t agree with his morals. Even though he acts like that’s a big deal. I don’t believe it is.”
Pam expanded, “I am a Christian. I think he’s trying to bring people like me who can’t stand the crook that’s the Republican candidate over to his side by having all these commercials and things about his morals. He and I don’t have the same beliefs, whether it’s same-sex beliefs, whether it’s religious beliefs. I don’t like that he keeps talking about that more than he’s talking about, to me, the issues. But that’s my personal opinion. And that’s why I am in horrible turmoil, because I will not vote for Paxton.”
Jennifer replied by saying she is not voting for either candidate.
Paxton’s campaign has been focused on attacking Talarico for being too feminine and accusing him of being both gay and trans. He has worked closely with Gov. Greg Abbott (R) to launch numerous attacks against the state’s LGBTQ+ community, particularly its transgender residents. He has made national headlines in his numerous legal crusades to persecute professionals and institutions that provide gender-affirming care to minors or have policies respecting trans people’s gender identities.
Now that Paxton is running for Senate against Talarico, a man who frames his pro-LGBTQ+ support in progressive Christian terms, Paxton is burnishing his anti-LGBTQ+ credentials by trying to paint his political opponent as a “freak” who is out of step with Texas voters.
On July 28, 2015, a state grand jury indicted Paxton on three criminal charges related to securities fraud. On May 25, 2023, the Republican-led House General Investigating Committee unanimously recommended that Paxton be impeached, saying that he repeatedly abused his office to protect one of his key political donors, retaliated against whistleblowers in his office, accepted bribes, and lied to official investigators about his own financial dealings. He became only the third statewide official in Texas history to be impeached by the House. The state Senate voted to acquit him of the charges.
He has recently been accused of committing voter fraud for voting under a registration address where he reportedly did not live.
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