Momentum continues to build behind Republican Texas Senate nominee Ken Paxton, whose campaign has seized both the airwaves and the narrative while Democrat James Talarico appears to be vanishing from his own race.
According to RedState, Paxton benefited from two major weekend ad drops funded by Texas PAC, which have amplified his record as Texas attorney general and framed his tenure as a model of conservative governance that serves not only the Lone Star State but the broader American public. The result has been a noticeable surge in positive attention, with more voters tuning in to his message of law-and-order, border security, and resistance to federal overreach.
As Paxtons political star rises, Talaricos campaign trajectory looks increasingly like a freefall. The Democrat, who has tried to present himself as a palatable moderate, is now facing questions not only about his whereabouts but also about his ideological extremism and the radical company he keeps.
As RedStates sister site Townhall reported, Talarico has been essentially missing in action since September 26, disappearing from public view with less than a month left in a high-stakes statewide campaign. Talarico has not been seen publicly in Texas in over a week, with his last appearance occurring on Saturday, September 26, before he took a fundraising trip to New York City.
In New York, he was feted at a VIP fundraising dinner that underscores just how far removed his donor base is from everyday Texans. There, he was treated to a VIP fundraising dinner where attendees, like a filmmaker who labeled America a shithole and a group that advocates for child sex change surgeries, were charged $27,000 a plate.
For a candidate who wants to represent Texas values, rubbing shoulders with people who sneer at America and promote radical gender ideology for children raises obvious red flags. According to local press, Talarico's campaign claims he is having a bad bout with the flu, which they say required a visit to urgent care.
Mmmkay. The explanation has done little to quiet speculation that the Democrat is hiding from scrutiny at a critical moment, especially as damaging revelations about his ideology and alliances continue to surface.
Paxtons campaign wasted no time capitalizing on the vacuum, deploying a pointed and humorous visual that instantly went viral. Paxton's campaign was right on it, taking full advantage by putting out a milk carton photo of Talarico and asking if he's been seen.
The mock missing poster read: "LOST: James Talarico has been missing for 11 days. If seen, please return to Robert De Niro." That is chef's kiss.
The campaign doubled down with a sharp digital ad that both mocked Talaricos absence and highlighted the growing perception that he is dodging voters. The campaign even name-checked Townhall in this well-done ad: "Have You Seen James Talarico?"
The message was reinforced in a video spot: "WATCH: James Talarico has been missing for 11 days. He was last seen in Texas on September 26th. While his campaign continues to lie to Texans, he is nowhere to be seen." For a candidate already battling the impression that he is more comfortable with Manhattan elites than Texas constituents, the optics could hardly be worse.
Yet Talaricos physical disappearance is only part of the story; the ideological revelations may be even more damaging. D.C. Reporter's editor-in-chief Matthew Foldi released this audio of an interview with Folasade Fashina, the Talarico campaign's Austin regional organizing manager, confirming what we already know: Talarico is a straight-up Marxist who is simply moderating for the cameras.
In the recording, Fashina describes Talarico as a vehicle for a far-left agenda that would drag Texas sharply to the left once safely in office. In this case, his support for "Palestine" and his distaste for the U.S.' support of Israel.
Her comments align with what Talaricos own spiritual adviser has reportedly suggested about his true intentions. Just as Talarico's "pastoress" also affirmed, once he is elected, he will work to institute all the warped, whacko, and leftist gobbledygook he has spouted in the open up until he decided to run for U.S. Senate.
Foldi summarized the stakes bluntly in a post that has circulated widely among conservative activists. "#TXSEN NEWS: In the closing days of James Talarico's race against @KenPaxtonTX, Talarico's own staffers could cause major problems for the Texas Democrat -- in this exclusive footage, one of Talarico's Marxist field organizers explains how she views him as the "vehicle" to push Texas drastically leftward, and that Talarico is actually far more anti-Israel than he publicly claims to be."
He reiterated the point for emphasis: "In the closing days of James Talarico's race against @KenPaxtonTX, Talarico's own staffers could cause major problems for the Texas Democrat -- in this exclusive footage, one of Talarico's Marxist field organizers explains how she views him as the "vehicle" to push Texas drastically leftward, and that Talarico is actually far more anti-Israel than he publicly claims to be." For a state that has long stood firmly with Israel and against Marxist ideology, such disclosures are politically toxic.
Despite the gravity of these developments, legacy media outlets have shown little appetite for serious coverage. Unreal that both of these significant happenings are not getting as much coverage by the legacy media as they should.
Instead, national reporters have fixated on a leaked audio clip of Paxton, straining to manufacture controversy where none exists. Instead, they are obsessed with a leaked audio of a Paxton call where a reporter asks: What are the issues that he thinks are dragging on his campaign? What do the American people think about tariffs?
Paxton answers honestly, pointing to the same concerns most voters voice at kitchen tables and truck stops across the country. "SCOOP: Ken Paxton, asked about the biggest drag on his campaign, said, "It's the war, it's gas prices," per audio obtained by @axios He agreed he can't stop the Iran War and said: "I don't ... know what's behind some of the decisions." w/ @StefWKight https://t.co/Tf5k32LHJu https://t.co/oDJmi4dXv2"
Just like the word "BREAKING," the X-verse grossly overuses the word "SCOOP." How is this news?
Nothing in Paxtons remarks is remotely controversial to ordinary Americans who are watching inflation erode their paychecks and foreign policy blunders destabilize the world. How is it revelatory or even detrimental to his campaign? The American people are fed up with Iran and the price of diesel, and those do factor into how this election cycle is going.
Yet multiple outlets have eagerly reposted the audio and churned out stories in an apparent effort to blunt Paxtons surge. Multiple outlets have reposted this audio and written about it, trying to take the wind out of Paxton's sails.
Newsflash: It's not working. The focus on trivial gotchas only underscores the disconnect between media elites and voters who care about border security, energy prices, and national strength.
Paxtons momentum is poised to grow even stronger as he appears alongside the most influential figure in Republican politics. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump and Paxton will share the stage in San Antonio, which can only increase that momentum for the Paxton campaign.
Meanwhile, Talaricos absence, his radical staff, and his New York donor circuit raise serious questions about whose interests he truly represents. Talarico better call his pastoress to pray he gets raised from his purported sickbed soon.
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