Country music star Kacey Musgraves responded sharply to an apparent political jab from South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, who had attempted to use Musgraves in a comment about the Texas Senate race.
The exchange began when James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for the Texas Senate, shared photos of himself with the Grammy-winning singer. In response, Noem, a Republican, stated on social media that she preferred country singer Ella Langley over Musgraves.
Noem then extended her criticism to the Texas race, saying, "And If I’m choosin’ Texas, I’ll take Ken Paxton over James Talarico," referencing Talarico’s Republican opponent, Ken Paxton. Polling data indicates Talarico currently holds a narrow lead over Paxton in the 2026 midterm elections.
Musgraves, a native Texan who met Talarico at her performance in Dallas on Saturday, retorted to Noem with a pointed remark. "I don’t think you have a dog in this fight but if you did you would have shot it," Musgraves replied, referencing Noem's widely publicized admission in her 2024 memoir, "No Going Back."
In the memoir, Noem recounted shooting and killing her 14-month-old hunting dog, Cricket, describing the animal as "less than worthless" due to perceived aggression and difficulty in training.