How far left can a Democrat run in Texas before even Democrats start getting nervous?
Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton just survived a bruising GOP primary against longtime incumbent John Cornyn. Now he’s turning his attention to Democratic state Rep. James Talarico.
And Republicans aren’t wasting any time defining him.
A new GOP attack ad making the rounds online paints Talarico as wildly out of step with everyday Texans.
🚨 NOW: Republicans are running a BRUTAL new ad against James Talarico (D) to elect Paxton, PERFECTLY exposing Talarico as the weirdo leftist he is
– God is “non-binary”
– 6 sexes
– “Non-meat campaign”
– “Reckoning with whiteness” 🤡ELECT KEN PAXTON! 🇺🇸pic.twitter.com/EEXcLnjq7N
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 27, 2026
You can probably guess how that’s playing in Texas. Republicans think they’ve found their opening.
Talarico, a former teacher and seminary student, says his comments are being distorted. He's tried to frame many of those remarks through the lens of inclusive Christianity and scientific discussion about intersex conditions.
But politically, this is the kind of stuff that makes regular voters think twice before casting a vote in his favor.
Conservatives argue Democrats are bleeding support from everyday Americans because too many party leaders seem more interested in identity politics than kitchen-table issues.
Ads like this practically write themselves – especially in a state like Texas, where voters still tend to believe there are two sexes, cows are for burgers, and God probably doesn’t need a diversity consultant.
Republicans also know this issue resonates far beyond Texas.
Nevada voters have seen the same kinds of political battles over gender ideology, race politics, and activist-driven policies.
For many ordinary Americans, it increasingly feels like Democrats are speaking a completely different language than the people they’re asking to vote for them.
At some point, voters start tuning it out. Or worse for Democrats, they start getting annoyed by it.
Voters want leaders who sound grounded, relatable, and connected to everyday life. When politicians sound like their positions come from one campus discussion group and three TikTok activists, people notice.
Republicans are leaning hard into this race. They believe Talarico represents the exact kind of progressive messaging that turns off swing voters, independents, and even some old-school Democrats.
Texas is changing. Democrats believe younger voters and suburban growth can eventually flip the state.
But Republicans clearly think they’ve found an issue that cuts through all the polling jargon and campaign spin.
The scary part for Talarico is that his opponents don’t even have to exaggerate very much here. They’re mostly just replaying his own words and letting voters make up their minds.
Republicans are betting most Texas voters will hear them and decide, “Yeah… no thanks.”
