Democrat James Talarico is doing everything he can to convince Texas voters that he’s relatable and one of them, during the Lone Star state’s 2026 senatorial matchup in the midterms against Republican nominee, Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Readers may have seen his campaign’s pathetic efforts to wallpaper over his radical leftist positions, by, among other things, playing up his deep love of BBQ.
READ MORE: James Talarico Attempts a Full Meat Lover Rebrand—Brandon Gill’s Response Leaves Him Well Done
Latest Talarico Info Raises Some Questions, May Really Hurt Him in Texas
Things don’t seem to be going any better this week. The official X account for Talarico’s campaign just tried to pull off a dishonest attack against Paxton – and the best word to describe it is, you guessed it, pathetic.
They shared a clip of Paxton, saying in the introductory verbiage that the Texas AG said he doesn’t want to spend time in Texas, and would rather be in California. The post added that Paxton grew up there.
One bit of that is based in fact. The Washington Post wrote in 2020 that:
Paxton, 57, spent much of his childhood in California — his father was in the Air Force — and went to college in Texas and then law school at the University of Virginia. He later returned to Texas, north of Dallas, and won election in a deeply conservative, affluent, mostly White area, first to the state House of Representatives and then the Senate.
Okay, here’s the clip/X post.
Watch:
Ken Paxton says he often doesn’t want to be in Texas and prefers spending time in California, where he grew up, instead:
“I like places in California, even though I don’t like to admit that I go to California, but it’s beautiful.” pic.twitter.com/utC3w3f2Bk
— Team Talarico (@TeamTalaricoHQ) June 25, 2026
Before I move into the debunking, it’s never a bad time to remind everyone how much you should hate the legacy media and its water-carrying role for Dems. The Houston Chronicle, couldn’t help itself when sharing the Talarico attempted smear job, gushing over how quickly they “seized on the moment”:
What happened to “Don’t California my Texas”? In a recent podcast appearance, Texas Attorney General and U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton mentioned California as one of his favorite places to visit outside Texas. Talarico’s campaign quickly seized on the moment, highlighting the contrast with years of Republican attacks on the Golden State.
Anyone who watches the video, however, will see/hear for themselves that what Team Talarico posted is not what Paxton said, not even close. It’s blatantly dishonest to portray it the way they do, with most of what he said left out.
Let’s start with the dirty implication that Paxton isn’t a true Texan because he grew up in another state. Did he grow up largely in CA? Sure he did, and as part of a military family, he also lived in Florida, New York, North Carolina, and Oklahoma.
Now, let’s consider what Paxton said in the video.
Like any normal person who lives in a hot state like Texas (as an Arizonan, I get it!), he takes a break when he can, heading to several states – he namechecks Wyoming and Florida – when the summers move into molten lava territory. It’s in that context that he only briefly alights on California; and as a bonus, he made a tongue-in-cheek joke about not liking to admit he enjoys visiting the Golden state for its natural beauty, as a Republican.
It’s easy to see why the Left depends on people not watching the videos in the posts they spread like manure.
As RedState has pointed out repeatedly, Talarico has many, many negatives, and sadly for him, this is all his campaign can manage as a distraction.
READ MORE: James Talarico Hoisted by His Own Words in New PAC Ad Supporting Ken Paxton
Talarico Desperately Tries to Clean Up His ‘Cringey Comments,’ but Just Makes It Worse
Just the latest mistep happened last night, when Talarico spoke at the Texas Democratic convention, and spent part of his time on stage railing against the evil billionaires:
“They’re not invading with an army, they’re just buying the system. The billionaires who own the social media algorithms, who own the cable news networks, who own the politicians fighting on our screens, they are turning neighbor against neighbor, weakening that spirit of friendship that makes Texas so great.”
But it’s another illogical claim that just won’t wash, as Newsbuster’s Tim Graham pointed out:
Logic not required. https://t.co/Xxco5XyGyH
— Tim Graham (@TimJGraham) June 26, 2026
Editor’s Note: This article was edited for clarity post-publication.
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