Texas has not sent a Democrat to a statewide office since 1994, and on Tuesday the party was trying to end that 30-year losing streak in one of the midterms' marquee U.S. Senate races.
asserted
party → send → races
The contest between Ken Paxton, the state's Republican attorney general, and James Talarico has become one of the country's most heated and expensive campaigns, and Republicans fear they could lose.
uncertain
they → become → campaigns
The race has left the GOP scrambling to defend both a pivotal stronghold and an increasingly fragile Senate majority.
asserted
race → leave → stronghold
Paxton's path to the nomination ran through a combative primary against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, which he won with a late endorsement from President Donald Trump.
asserted
he → run → Trump
Senate Republican leaders feared Paxton would be far more vulnerable than Cornyn because of his years of legal troubles, including accusations of corruption.
asserted
Paxton → fear → corruption
The campaign has tested whether voters will tolerate the past scandals that have shadowed Paxton.
asserted
that → test → Paxton
It has also tested whether Talarico's religion-infused populist message can open a path to victory for Democrats in a state that Trump easily carried two years ago.
asserted
Trump → test → that
Talarico built his campaign around portraying Paxton as the face of a political system that allows billionaires to wield outsized political power while prices rise for the rest of the country.
asserted
prices → build → country
He also sought to win over moderate Republicans and independents put off by Paxton.
asserted
He → seek → Paxton
Paxton, for his part, pinned his hopes on firing up Republican voters, who have historically outnumbered Democrats in Texas, to turn out at the polls.
asserted
who → pin → polls
He campaigned with Trump several times.
asserted
He → campaign → Trump
The president amplified Paxton's attack that Talarico is too progressive for the Lone Star State because of past statements, including that God is “nonbinary.”
asserted
God → amplify → statements
At the same time, voters have grown increasingly frustrated over high costs for gas, groceries, healthcare, and more, and over the war with Iran, sapping Trump's and Republicans' popularity.
asserted
voters → grow → popularity
Ken Paxton relies on Elon Musk cash amid scandals and messy divorce
Elon Musk's money became the central issue in the Texas race, with the world's richest man pouring $158 million into the Senate Leadership Fund, which then gave the same amount to the Texas PAC, the largest contributor to Ken Paxton's campaign.
asserted
which → rely → campaign
Musk, a Texas resident, also handed $10 million to the Lone Star Liberty PAC, which supports Paxton.
asserted
which → hand → Paxton
That spending helped blanket the state in anti-Talarico ads.
asserted
spending → blanket → ads
The Democrat, James Talarico, responded by calling Musk's donation in his stump speech the epitome of the moneyed influence he says has corrupted politics.
asserted
he → respond → politics
Talarico had hammered Paxton on ethical questions to win over Republican and independent voters.
asserted
Talarico → hammer → voters
But he rarely maligned the Republican Party.
asserted
he → malign → Party
The issue is less a question of right versus left, he often said, and more about the uber-rich versus everyone else.
asserted
he → say → everyone
Paxton carried a string of legal and ethical problems into the race, including being impeached in 2023 and then acquitted by his own party on corruption accusations.
asserted
Paxton → carry → accusations
A federal corruption investigation into him was closed with no charges.
asserted
investigation → close → charges
During the impeachment trial, there were allegations of marital infidelity, and his wife is now divorcing him on “biblical grounds.”
asserted
wife → be → grounds
Paxton has painted James Talarico as radical on gender
Ken
asserted
Paxton → paint → gender
Paxton worked to frame his Democratic opponent as too far-left for Texas, with the state's rising costs a secondary theme of his remarks.
asserted
costs → work → remarks
Seen in some conservative circles as a culture war pugilist, Paxton highlighted the Democrat naming his favorite drag queen in Texas.
asserted
Paxton → see → Texas
He also pointed to his opponent's earlier claim that there were six sexes.
uncertain
He → point → claim
The Democrat, James Talarico, has worked to moderate his past statements on gender questions, calling them “cringey.”
asserted
Democrat → work → them
He said he opposes transgender athletes playing women's sports if it “endangers safety or fairness.”
asserted
it → say → safety
Talarico often took a pastoral approach with voters.
asserted
Talarico → take → voters
He presented himself as an earnest listener to their concerns and pledged to salve them if elected.
asserted
He → present → them
Culture war issues have helped propel Paxton to prominence as a state attorney general eager to use his position for partisan aims.
asserted
issues → help → aims
That has included leading a failed lawsuit that sought to overturn the 2020 election after Trump claimed without evidence that it was stolen.
asserted
it → include → evidence
The Aporia
