Talarico and Paxton Trade Attacks in Closing Days of Close Texas Senate Race

Democrat James Talarico, a state representative, and Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton are in the closing days of a tight U.S. Senate race in Texas, with the midterms about a week away. At weekend events each accused the other of being an outsider tied to California. At a Paxton rally in Selma, Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., urged voters not to elect Talarico, and Paxton said California does not need a third senator. The next day in San Antonio, Talarico said Paxton, who partly grew up in California, is not from Texas, and likened him to Elon Musk. Musk has criticized Talarico and given heavily to a group aligned with Paxton. CNN reported that another high-profile Texas Republican will not back Paxton; Dade Phelan was named among Republicans who have spoken out against their party. Both candidates acknowledged high prices from war-fueled inflation. Paxton floated tax deductions for medical bills, new home purchases and healthy-living choices such as prescription GLP-1 drugs. In Fort Bend County, which Kamala Harris narrowly won in 2024, Paxton supporters said they were worried, and Talarico's crowd a day later was more upbeat. Separately, Soren Aldaco, a 23-year-old detransitioner, said Monday that organizers of a CNN town hall with Talarico earlier this month told her the night before that she could not attend.

CNN and The New York Times, on the left, focus on Paxton's political vulnerabilities and Talarico's campaign. CNN leads with another Republican refusing to back Paxton, citing Phelan. The Times centers on Talarico's growing rivalry with Musk and his funding of a Paxton-aligned group. Neither mentions Aldaco's claim. Fox News, on the right, leads with that claim, featuring Aldaco's account on "The Katie Miller Podcast" and her wish to confront Talarico over his past rhetoric on gender. It also notes Talarico called some past comments provocative. It leaves out the Republican defections and the Musk feud. Both sides treat Talarico as a central figure, but the left examines problems for Paxton while the right scrutinizes Talarico and CNN's handling of the event. Semafor and the Christian Science Monitor add the California-outsider exchange and voter worries over the race.