Ken Paxton has survived years of scandals. Can James Talarico change that?

By — Thomas Beaumont, Associated Press Thomas Beaumont, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/ken-paxton-has-survived-years-of-scandals-can-james-talarico-change-that Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Ken Paxton has survived years of scandals. Can James Talarico change that? Politics Jul 27, 2026 1:25 PM EDT Eight years ago, during a campaign for Texas attorney general, Justin Nelson ran television advertisements with security camera footage of Ken Paxton pocketing an expensive pen that didn't belong to him. Four years ago, George P. Bush went after Paxton by putting up billboards that said "he's a crook" next to his mugshot from when he was charged with securities fraud. And earlier this year, U.S. Sen John Cornyn said "judgment day is coming" as he tried to fend off a Republican primary challenge from Paxton. All of them lost. Now the question is whether James Talarico, who topped Rep. Jasmine Crockett in an expensive and fiercely contested Democratic primary, will have any more luck as he faces off against Paxton in one of the country's most closely watched U.S. Senate races. "The guy's ability to take shots and just keep moving on and stay in elected office is unlike anything I've ever seen in my career, in 25 years of running campaigns," said Ash Wright, who worked as a senior adviser to Bush. Paxton has never been convicted, and he's survived by championing conservative legal battles over immigration, abortion and transgender issues in a Republican-dominated state. Much like President Donald Trump, he's long portrayed himself as the victim of political persecution. Former Paxton challengers and a half dozen campaign strategists who worked against him warned that Texans may tune out any attempt to revive scandals that they've heard about for years, especially when rigid partisanship has convinced voters to be extraordinarily forgiving of candidates' trespasses. However, Talarico's team has studied the previous races and is attempting its own version of the playbook by trying to paint Paxton as part of a broader culture of corruption that has failed to improve people's lives. Paxton's campaign suggested Talarico's claims were aimed at distracting voters from a record of "out-of-touch views." "Every time a fighter, like President Donald Trump and now Ken Paxton, stands up to the permanent political class, even after they are completely acquitted of wrongdoing, people like James Talarico continue pushing the same accusations and claiming corruption," Paxton campaign spokesperson Madison Cercy said. Democratic U.S. Senate candidate for Texas, James Talarico, speaks during his primary election night party in Austin, Texas, March 4, 2026. File photo by Joel Angel Juarez/ Reuters Paxton won first reelection narrowly, despite indictment Paxton was first elected as Texas attorney general in 2014, and Nelson ran against him in 2018. A Democratic lawye