Paxton and GOP allies target Talarico with masculinity and veganism claims in Texas Senate race

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, having secured the Republican primary nomination after defeating incumbent US Senator John Cornyn, has launched a general election campaign against Democratic nominee James Talarico. The strategy centres on characterising Talarico as insufficiently masculine, with Paxton utilising derogatory nicknames such as "Low-T Talarico," "Tofu Talarico," "Six-Gender Jimmy," and "James Talafreako" in his victory speech.

Paxton’s attacks have been amplified by key Republican figures, including Donald Trump and adviser Stephen Miller. Trump has claimed that Talarico is a vegan and asserted that one cannot be elected in Texas as a vegan, while Miller posted on X that Talarico was Texas’s first transgender Senate candidate. These assertions are factually incorrect, with Talarico having denied being vegan or transgender and consuming meat and dairy products on the campaign trail.

The false claims regarding veganism appear to stem from Talarico’s 2022 Texas House reelection campaign, where he announced that his team would purchase only vegan food products for events to combat climate change. Talarico did not claim to be vegan himself and has since eaten meat, including ordering potato, egg, and cheese tacos at a campaign stop in Austin in May. The Talarico campaign responded to the derogatory nicknames by immediately selling "I’m a Talafreako" T-shirts.

The rhetoric draws heavily on manosphere and incel culture, overlapping with internet communities obsessed with unscientific theories of gender, hormones, and diet. This approach aligns with the messaging of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who has promoted pseudoscientific views on low testosterone and urged Americans to consume more meat. Kennedy’s "Make America Healthy Again" initiative has featured photo-ops at barbecue restaurants, despite whole soy foods being a rich source of protein.

Democratic strategist Eric Koch described the attacks as a deflection from Paxton’s own corruption and impeachment history. Koch stated that Paxton is desperate to distract from his record, noting that Talarico’s strong polling and fundraising capabilities position him well for the general election. Analysts suggest that the online-centric insults may not resonate with the broader Texas electorate, which consists of nearly 19 million eligible voters.

While some Republican leaders are concerned about the cost of lifting Paxton into the Senate, the Republican campaign has firmly established its alignment with the Trump mindset. The focus on belittling Talarico with cheap taunts and insinuations about his masculinity raises questions about whether these tactics will make the Republican nominee appear trustworthy to the wider public.