James Talarico to air first TV ad attacking Ken Paxton in Senate race

State Rep. James Talarico is launching his first paid TV attack ad against Attorney General Ken Paxton Saturday, a 30-second spot titled "Most Corrupt" that targets Paxton's impeachment and personal finances.

The ad debuts during the TCU vs. North Carolina football game, giving it a large built-in audience. Talarico, a Democrat running for U.S. Senate, has hammered Paxton on the campaign trail over his 2023 impeachment by the Texas House and the growth of his net worth while in office, but this marks the first time those attacks go on paid airwaves in either the primary or the general election.

The Texas House, controlled by Republicans, impeached Paxton three years ago on allegations of abuse of office. The Texas Senate acquitted him on all charges. Talarico's ad pulls footage from his stump speeches and centers the race squarely on Paxton's record rather than any policy contrast.

For Lubbock voters, this signals the Senate race is entering a more aggressive phase. West Texas leans heavily Republican, and Paxton carried this region comfortably in past statewide runs. Whether a corruption-focused message cuts through in places like Lubbock, where Paxton remains popular, is the real test for Talarico's strategy. That the impeachment came from a Republican-controlled chamber makes the attack harder for Paxton to dismiss as simple partisan politics.