James Talarico isn't playing nice. Within hours of Ken Paxton's runoff victory, the Democratic challenger announced a five-city tour across Texas called The People vs. Ken Paxton.
According to Rolling Stone, over 9,000 supporters attended the tour, which hit Houston, Nacogdoches, San Antonio, Leander, and Plano. In Paxton's own backyard in Plano, roughly 4,000 Talarico supporters chanted "lock him up!" — echoing language used against Trump.
The strategy is to make Paxton's criminal allegations and legal troubles central to the race. Talarico sees Paxton's primary victory over sitting Senator John Cornyn as an opportunity rooted in scandal.
"This idea that Ken Paxton is immune from accountability is a false narrative," Talarico told Rolling Stone. Then came the direct comparison: "I mean he's kind of like Trump without the charisma, or the sense of humor, or the star power. Kind of all the worst parts about Donald Trump, and none of the good parts."
Talarico's campaign is pushing for debates. "[Texans] deserve to see both candidates debating their proposals and their records," he said, adding he would debate Paxton "absolutely" and "multiple times."
The challenge for Talarico is that Paxton has a documented history of avoiding electoral challengers. Will Talarico's tour force him to the debate stage, or will Paxton follow the Trump playbook and decline?
Either way, the race has intensified in Texas. If Talarico wins statewide in deep-red Texas — the first Democratic victory in over 30 years — this tour may be remembered as a turning point in the campaign.
