Texas Senate race

D Democratic James Talarico

Supports comprehensive immigration reform

Talarico includes immigration and border security as a core pillar of his platform. While his detailed legislative proposals are summarized under his website's issue sections, opposing campaign materials target his record as favoring weaker border restrictions.

• Identifies Immigration & Border Security as a core platform priority on his campaign website

R Republican Ken Paxton

Supports finishing wall and mass deportations

Paxton promises to support President Trump's border agenda by completing the border wall, deporting criminal illegal aliens, and enforcing national sovereignty. As Attorney General, he filed over 100 lawsuits against the Biden administration's immigration policies.

• Finish construction of the southern border wall
• Execute deportations of criminal illegal aliens
• Continue state-level legal challenges against federal open-border policies

“Ken Paxton is running to help President Trump finish the border wall and protect our national sovereignty.”

D Democratic James Talarico

Focuses on working-class economic relief

Talarico frames the economic debate as a fight between top earners and working families rather than partisan divisions. He highlights his legislative record of passing bipartisan bills to expand child care and lower prescription drug costs.

• Passed 60 bipartisan bills in the Texas House including measures expanding child care
• Advocates for economic policies that address wealth disparity between the rich and working class

“The real fight in this country isn’t Left vs Right; it’s Top vs Bottom. Right now, the rich are getting richer, and the rest of us are struggling to get by.”

R Republican Ken Paxton

Supports tax cuts and deregulation

Paxton pledges to fight inflation by cutting taxes, reining in federal spending, and removing energy regulations. He aligns with President Trump's economic agenda to boost domestic manufacturing and create jobs.

• Cut federal taxes and reduce wasteful government spending to address the national debt
• Deregulate American energy producers to lower costs for consumers
• Revitalize domestic manufacturing and job growth

“Ken Paxton is a strong fiscal conservative who will fight to cut taxes and stop the wasteful spending that has led to our nation being in over $36 trillion dollars in debt.”

D Democratic James Talarico

Opposes billionaire influence in politics

Talarico campaigns against the influence of billionaire mega-donors and political corruption. He positions himself as an independent voice fighting to restore political power to everyday working people.

• Campaigns against billionaire mega-donors controlling Texas politics
• Pledges to take his fight against political corruption to Washington

“As a state representative, he’s led the fight against the billionaire mega-donors and puppet politicians who have taken over Texas.”

R Republican Ken Paxton

Promises to drain the Swamp

Paxton frames his legal and political battles as resistance against establishment witch hunts. He promises to work with Donald Trump to end the weaponization of government agencies and drain the Swamp.

• End the perceived weaponization of federal law enforcement against conservatives
• Dismantle establishment political networks in Washington

“Both President Trump and Ken Paxton have been targeted in politically motivated witch hunts because there’s nothing that scares the establishment more than courageous conservatives who never back down from standing up for the American people.”

D Democratic James Talarico

Supports lowering prescription drug prices

Talarico highlights his state legislative work passing bipartisan bills to lower prescription drug costs. He includes health care as a primary pillar of his legislative platform.

• Authored and passed bipartisan Texas legislation lowering prescription drug costs
• Designates Healthcare as a core campaign priority on his official platform

“I’ve passed 60 bipartisan bills to make Texans lives better including lowering the cost of prescription drugs and expanding child care.”

R Republican Ken Paxton

Supports MAHA and healthcare transparency

Paxton pledges to partner with President Trump on the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) initiative by confronting pharmaceutical and corporate food companies. He advocates for transparency, fighting chronic illness, and giving families healthcare choices.

• Take on Big Pharma and Big Food to increase transparency in healthcare and food systems
• Prioritize public health reform to reduce rising rates of chronic illness
• Promote consumer choices and challenge corporate profit motives in medicine

“In the Senate, he will work alongside President Trump to Make America Healthy Again by taking on Big Pharma and Big Food, increasing transparency in our food and healthcare systems...”

D Democratic James Talarico

Promotes freedom, family, and faith

Talarico includes Freedom, Family & Faith on his campaign website platform. Opponents criticize him for opposing conservative social restrictions and supporting progressive positions on gender identity and education.

• Lists Freedom, Family & Faith as a core issue on his campaign platform
• Attacked by conservatives for supporting progressive perspectives on gender and education

R Republican Ken Paxton

Opposes abortion and gender ideology

Paxton is an outspoken conservative who pledges to defend the unborn, protect parental rights, and restrict transgender participation in women's sports. He strongly opposes gender ideology and LGBTQ-focused curriculum in public schools.

• Defend anti-abortion protections and protect the unborn
• Prevent biological males from competing in female sports divisions
• Enforce parental rights and block LGBTQ gender content in public school classrooms

“He will stand with President Trump to protect our gun rights, defend the unborn, and defeat the radical transgender movement that’s desperate to put men in girls’ sports and woke indoctrination in our classrooms.”

D Democratic James Talarico

Supports public safety measures

Talarico includes Public Safety & Justice on his campaign platform issue list. His campaign focuses on community safety alongside broader criminal justice reform.

• Includes Public Safety & Justice among key platform categories

R Republican Ken Paxton

Opposes restrictions on gun ownership

Paxton promises uncompromising protection of 2nd Amendment rights against Democratic proposals and moderate Republicans. He has earned endorsements from leading gun rights advocacy groups.

• Defend 2nd Amendment gun rights against federal legislation and regulation
• Endorsed by Gun Owners of America and Texas Gun Rights PAC

“We’ve seen an unprecedented assault on our Constitutional freedoms— like our 2nd Amendment rights— from “Republicans” and Democrats alike.”

D Democratic James Talarico

Supports funding for public education

As a former public school teacher with a master's degree in education policy, Talarico makes public education a cornerstone of his campaign. He served on the Texas House Public Education Committee and champions strong public school investments.

• Former middle school teacher with a master's in education policy from Harvard
• Served on the Texas House Public Education Committee
• Lists Public Education as a major issue on his platform

R Republican Ken Paxton

Supports parental rights and classroom restrictions

Paxton focuses his education policy on enforcing parental rights and removing gender ideology and woke indoctrination from public schools. He criticizes Talarico's vision for Texas public education.

• Protect parental rights over public school curriculum
• Eliminate gender ideology and woke content from classrooms

“He will stand with President Trump to secure the border, protect parental rights, defend common sense, and ensure that Texas remains the conservative stronghold that helps save America.”

D Democratic James Talarico

Supports diplomatic and veteran priorities

Talarico lists Foreign Policy as part of his official issue platform, highlighting engagements such as a veterans roundtable in El Paso. He emphasizes support for veterans and responsible international engagement.

• Lists Foreign Policy on campaign issue platform
• Engages veterans through campaign events like an El Paso roundtable

R Republican Ken Paxton

Supports America First foreign policy

Paxton champions an America First foreign policy that opposes blank checks for foreign nations and prioritizes domestic border security over foreign defense spending. He advocates for peace through strength.

• Prioritize American citizen safety and interests above foreign aid
• Oppose foreign aid spending packages and blank checks
• Promote peace through strength alongside Donald Trump

“While many Washington career politicians are concerned with sending billions to foreign countries and protecting the borders of other nations, Ken Paxton’s top priority will always be the American people.”

D Democratic James Talarico

Supports clean energy transition and jobs

Talarico lists Energy & Environment among his campaign platform priorities. His campaign focuses on balancing environmental protection with Texas energy production and job growth.

• Includes Energy & Environment on campaign platform list

R Republican Ken Paxton

Supports deregulation of oil and gas

Paxton vows to defend traditional Texas energy companies by eliminating federal regulations. He accuses the Biden administration of waging a war on American energy that has driven up living costs.

• Remove federal regulations targeting traditional energy companies
• Lower consumer energy costs through expanded domestic energy production

“After four years of Joe Biden causing skyrocketing inflation and declaring war on American energy, Ken Paxton will help bring down costs and remove harmful regulations designed to hurt our energy companies.”

D Democratic James Talarico

Supports tech regulation and AI oversight

Talarico includes Social Media, AI & Tech as a distinct issue category on his campaign platform, focusing on consumer privacy, child safety, and artificial intelligence regulation.

• Identifies Social Media, AI & Tech as a top issue on his campaign platform

R Republican Ken Paxton

Supports pro-crypto regulatory framework

Paxton advocates making the U.S. the crypto capital of the world by establishing clear, pro-growth regulatory frameworks. He explicitly calls for passing the CLARITY Act to empower digital asset innovators.

• Establish a pro-growth regulatory framework for digital assets
• Pass the CLARITY Act to provide legal certainty for crypto innovators
• Promote U.S. leadership in global financial and digital innovation

“America must be the crypto capital of the world and support innovation and growth.”