Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters stated that Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico's efforts to gain Republican crossover support are a "pipe dream" and that "nobody is going to follow him." Gruters asserted that Talarico is "completely out of touch with Texans" and that the voters presented as Republican supporters for Talarico have demonstrated ties to Democratic candidates and anti-Donald Trump groups.
Gruters' remarks came in response to claims of Republican backing for Talarico, who is seeking to unseat Republican incumbent Ken Paxton in Texas. According to Gruters, individuals presented as Republican mothers supporting Talarico, such as Mindy McClure, have records of contributing to Democratic candidates and groups like ActBlue and The Lincoln Project. Another individual featured in Talarico's outreach reportedly has a primary voting history leaning towards Democrats.
The RNC chair dismissed Talarico's coalition-building efforts as an attempt to mimic what he described as "Kamala Harris' 'White Dudes for Kamala,'" arguing that such crossover support does not genuinely exist for the Democrat in Texas.
"When you have policies like mutilating children, saying that God has six different genders and is non-binary and all this other stuff, you can't expect that Republicans are going to hop on and think that they're going to be a on board to this liberal clown show that he's operating down there in Texas," Gruters said, referencing Talarico's policy positions.
However, Talarico's campaign has pointed to some Republican endorsements, including that of former Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley, who has a history of endorsing Democratic candidates in recent years. The campaign also noted that some of the women featured in their outreach had previously voted for Republican Gov. Greg Abbott but vowed not to do so again.
Gruters contrasted Talarico with Beto O'Rourke, who ran against Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018, stating that while O'Rourke was liberal, Talarico's policy positions are "freakish" and make O'Rourke appear conservative. Gruters predicted that Texas, a state he described as "ruby red," would not elect a candidate with Talarico's platform.
Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee, has stated that he has outraised other Republican candidates nationally but urged for increased financial support from groups like the Senate Leadership Fund, Elon Musk, and Trump's MAGA Inc. to counter Talarico's advertising efforts. Paxton has faced scrutiny, including a past impeachment attempt, but Gruters emphasized his proven ability to win statewide elections in Texas.
Gruters also noted that while former Sen. John Cornyn was a respected senator, the party now needs "MAGA warriors" to support the president's agenda. He indicated that Cornyn is currently raising money for Senate Republicans, though he did not confirm if Cornyn had specifically endorsed Paxton.
Despite predictions of significant spending in the Texas Senate race, Gruters suggested it would not be the cycle's highest-spending contest, anticipating North Carolina to hold that distinction. He reiterated his confidence in Paxton's ability to win in Texas, citing the state's conservative electorate and Paxton's track record as a statewide winner.