Texas Senate Race Turns Into a Battle Over Who Is More of a Man

Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton is stoking a debate over manhood with his Democratic opponent, James Talarico, as the general election campaign heats up. Paxton, the state’s attorney general, has questioned Talarico’s masculinity before crowds and in ads, a strategy his campaign believes will resonate with Hispanic voters who have moved toward Republicans in recent election cycles.

Talarico has sidestepped the personal attacks and instead promoted a vision of masculinity centered on responsibility and care for family and community. “A man takes responsibility, he upholds his commitments to his family and his neighbors and he does what’s right, even when no one is watching,” Talarico said at a recent campaign stop.

Paxton defeated U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in the GOP primary runoff in late May, setting up a November general election contest. The race has quickly become a proxy fight over a broader Republican strategy to win back male voters and appeal to Hispanic voters.

“Machismo is important to these voters, to know who’s a fighter and who’s weak,” said Paxton campaign adviser Nick Maddux.

Paxton has called Talarico “Low-T Talarico” — a reference to low testosterone — and other Republicans have joined in. A Trump adviser posted on social media calling Talarico the party’s “first transgender senate candidate.” Talarico is not transgender. A Paxton-aligned super PAC ran ads saying “Low-T Talarico, too weak for Texas,” and an allied group released an AI deepfake ad showing Talarico in a dress.

Talarico, a state representative and a former state legislator, has responded by leaning into the discussion. He tells the story of his adoptive dad mowing a neighbor’s lawn when no one was watching. “Here’s what real men don’t do: They don’t lie and cheat their way through life,” Talarico said, a reference to Paxton’s divorce.

In the March 3 Democratic primary, Talarico outperformed in heavily Latino counties, beating U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett 62% to 35% in counties with more than 60% Latino voters, compared with 53% to 46% statewide. A Paxton campaign adviser said the strategy is about positioning the race as a choice between “a fighter who shares our values” and a “radical progressive.”

The Paxton campaign’s focus on Talarico’s masculinity marks a shift in Republican strategy for the state. In 2024, the Rio Grande Valley voted red for the first time in recent memory, backing Donald Trump 52%. But early signs show Latino support for the GOP slipping, with 65% of Latino voters nationally disapproving of Trump’s job performance in a recent Cook Political Report aggregate, up from 53% in March.

Mike Madrid, an expert on Latino voting and a GOP consultant, called the Paxton campaign’s machismo appeals a reliance on stereotypes. “These are the mistakes I’ve seen Republicans make for 30 years when you have white bros in DC using cartoon caricatures,” said Madrid, who helped found the anti-Trump Lincoln Project.

Talarico’s campaign expects the charges of weakness to be typical Republican-on-Democrat attacks, a person close to the campaign said. The campaign believes the conversation about masculinity is a good opportunity, the person added, and that voters will find Talarico’s vibes more favorable than Paxton’s.