Answering Every Question About Texas' 2026 Midterms (Paxton vs. Talarico)

Added: 2026-05-31

[00:00:00]Ken Paxton just pulled off a Trump endorsed victory in Texas.

[00:00:04]>> We just made history.

[00:00:07]>> But the real story is what comes next.

[00:00:10]The firebrand attorney general, backed by a lastminute nod from the president, crushed four-term incumbent John Cornin by more than 27 points in Tuesday's Republican runoff. Now, Paxton heads into the November general election against Democrat James Telerico in a race that could reshape the Senate map and test whether Trump's endorsement machine has its limits. I'm Susan Ficio, senior politics reporter for the Washington Times. And here's what this win could mean for Texas, the Republican party in a 2026 midterm battlefield.

[00:00:46]How decisive was Paxton's win? And what does the margin tell us about Trump's power within the GOP right now? Cordon's defeat marks Trump's latest knockout punch aimed at Republicans that he believes have shown disloyalty or worked against his agenda. On May 16th, two-term Republican Senator Bill Cassidy, who voted to remove Trump from office following the January 6, 2021 riot at the capital, lost his GOP primary to Representative Julia Lllo.

[00:01:15]She was recruited and endorsed by President Trump. Trump also took down GOP Representative Thomas Massie in his deep red Kentucky congressional district after endorsing his primary opponent, Ad Gallerin. Massie voted against the president's signature tax cut, spoke out against the Iran war, and helped force a congressional vote to release the Epstein files. John Cornin voted with Trump more than 99% of the time and was considered an ally of the president. So, how does a senator with that record lose so badly? Cornin and his allies spent a record amount of money battling Paxton, more than $90 million. But the combination of Mr. Trump's endorsement of Paxton and a smaller election turnout in the runoff made up of hardcore conservatives helped Paxton overcome his big campaign cash deficit. Despite being allies with the president, Cornin has sins against the president that date back a decade when he first opposed then candidate Trump's campaign pledge to finish building the wall along the southern border. Mr. Cornin also spoke out against Trump's decision to run for president again in 2024, although he later wholeheartedly endorsed his candidacy. Cornin has shown far more loyalty to the president than Massie or Cassidy and touted his record of almost always voting in favor of the Trump agenda. But Trump in his endorsement of Paxton said Cornin quote was not supportive of me when times were tough and was very late in backing me in what turned out to be an historic run for the Republican nomination and then the presidency itself, both of which were landslide victories.

[00:02:54]Who is James Terico and why are Democrats so excited about him as a candidate? The party is hoping Torico can energize Democrats with populist economic proposals addressing the high cost of living. He has, for example, sided with Trump in calling for the suspension of the federal gas tax.

[00:03:11]Talico's personal and campaign accounts on social media have amassed more than 2.5 million followers. He appears in recent posts grabbing tacos and shaking hands with voters alongside former President Barack Obama. Terrio has pivoted away from his party's embrace of identity politics and he has pivoted toward taxing the ultraw wealthy, banning congressional stock trading and term limits for congressional lawmakers.

[00:03:37]Recent polls show Paxton Talerico in a dead heat.

[00:03:41]>> People know him as Tofu Talerico.

[00:03:45]Some people call him sixgender Jimmy.

[00:03:49]No matter what he says or how much he raises, the reality is that James Talerico is going to be nothing more than a Texas-based p puppet for Chuck Schumer and the National Democrats.

[00:04:04]>> What does a competitive Texas Senate race mean for the broader 2026 map? It's too soon for the polls to accurately show whether Terico can beat Paxton in Texas. If Telerico starts pulling ahead of Paxton in the months ahead, this will be a clear sign that Republicans may be in trouble across the map thanks to voter frustration over high gas prices and inflation and issues related to the cost of living. Hon's win is the latest in a string of Trumpbacked rivalry victories. It sends a message to Republican incumbents facing strong MAGA challenges that they too are vulnerable.

[00:04:42]What's the biggest vulnerability Paxton and Telerico carry into the general election? For Telerico, it's his past statements embracing liberal philosophies such as multiple genders, illegal immigration, and reduced meat consumption. He's also expressed support for abortion. Paxton will continue to face his rivals campaign ads highlighting his own personal professional scandals, including a messy divorce, an impeachment on corruption charges, and allegations of mistresses.

[00:05:12]As soon as Paxton won the runoff on Tuesday, Terico posted a 2015 mugsh shot of Paxton after he was charged with three felony counts of securities fraud for which he was not convicted. Trump hit back with a truth social post attacking Taller as weak on crime and an open borders Democrat.

[00:05:32]Bottom line, is Texas actually in play in November? Or is this wishful thinking by Democrats? Pax's vulnerabilities may put Texas Senate seat in play, which will force the Republican party to divert millions of dollars to defending the seat that should have been reliably read. For now, we can expect one of the most expensive and ugliest Senate seat battles of the midterm elections. To stay on top of this story and all developments leading up to the 2026 midterms, make sure you're subscribed to our YouTube channel. For the Washington Times, I'm Susan Ficio. Thanks for watching.