A prominent Texas Republican has thrown his support behind Democrat James Talarico in the race for the U.S. Senate, delivering another high-profile blow to Republican nominee Ken Paxton.
Thomas Phillips, the former chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court, announced his endorsement of Talarico in a column published by the Beaumont Enterprise. Phillips, who served as chief justice from 1988 to 2004, said the Democratic state representative understands how government can work across party lines.
Talarico “knows firsthand how a legislative body can function in a bipartisan spirit,” Phillips wrote.
His assessment of Paxton, Texas’ current attorney general, was considerably less flattering.
Phillips said Paxton’s public career has been “marred almost since its inception by charges of impropriety,” pointing to the Republican’s long-running legal and ethical controversies.
Paxton was impeached by the Republican-controlled Texas House in 2023 but acquitted by the Texas Senate. He was also indicted on three felony securities-fraud counts in 2015, a case that was ultimately dismissed in 2024 after years of delays and legal disputes.
“However exemplary his future conduct might be, Paxton’s longstanding reputation will embarrass Texas in ways our state simply cannot afford,” Phillips wrote.
That is a striking rebuke from a former top Texas Republican official, particularly as Paxton seeks a promotion from state attorney general to the U.S. Senate.
More Republicans Break Ranks With Paxton
Phillips is not the only prominent Texas Republican throwing his support behind Talarico rather than his party’s nominee.
Other Republicans who have publicly backed the Democrat include former Texas GOP executive director Wayne Thorburn, former Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan and Neil Bush, the brother of former President George W. Bush.
Their support highlights the divisions within Texas Republican circles over Paxton’s candidacy and the controversies that have followed him throughout his political career.
Talarico, a Democratic state representative, has built his campaign around his legislative record and his ability to appeal to voters beyond the Democratic base. Phillips’ endorsement puts another influential Republican voice behind that pitch.
The endorsement comes as polls have shown Talarico narrowly leading Paxton in the Texas Senate contest.
Polling margins can shift, and individual surveys are not guarantees of an election outcome. Still, the race has drawn attention because Texas has long been a Republican stronghold in statewide elections.
For Talarico, support from Republican officials could help reinforce his appeal to voters dissatisfied with Paxton. For Paxton, the endorsement is another public rebuke, and an a reminder that not every prominent Republican is prepared to rally behind his candidacy.
