# Republicans target Texas Senate race with masculinity campaign

> Texas GOP tries to frame Senate race as 'manliness' battle against Democratic candidate James Talarico.
- Title: Republicans target Texas Senate race with masculinity campaign
- Summary: Texas GOP tries to frame Senate race as 'manliness' battle against Democratic candidate James Talarico. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's campaign focuses…
- Keywords: texas, senate, ken paxton, james talarico, republican, democratic, masculinity, cost of living, economy, polling, news, culture
- Source: Vox — https://vox.com/politics/507005/texas-senate-race-talarico-paxton-masculinity
- Author: Jolie Myers
- Published: 2026-10-29T11:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: texas, senate, ken paxton, james talarico, republican, democratic, masculinity, cost of living, economy, polling, news, culture
## Paxton's first ad
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton accused Democratic state Rep. James Talarico of being 'too low-t' in his first Senate campaign ad.

> Too Low-T for Texas
## Trump's masculinity strategy
Trump played to the 'manosphere' during his 2024 campaign by appearing on bro-y podcasts and using a macho image.

> manosphere
## Republican attacks on Talarico
Republicans accused Talarico of being gay, vegan, and supportive of trans athletes in their masculinity campaign.

> he’s not man enough
## Voter reactions
Some voters said they don’t care about Talarico’s gender identity and want economic issues addressed instead.

> i don’t care if talarico’s gay or not
## Economic concerns
Voters prioritize gas prices and housing costs over cultural messaging in 2026.

> people are mad about other things
## Polling data
Most recent polling shows Talarico leading with the Cook Political Report calling the race a toss-up.

> toss-up
## Paxton's credibility
Paxton's wife filed for divorce on 'biblical grounds' listing adultery as the reason.

> biblical grounds
## Republican women's response
Texas Federation of Republican Women president Jill Tate urged Republicans to vote for the team rather than one candidate.

> vote for ken paxton despite ken paxton
## Strategic shift
Democrats focus on affordability to counter Republican masculinity messaging.

> they’re understanding that their salaries aren’t going as far
## Historical context
Texas last elected a Democratic senator in 1988, but Talarico has a real shot at breaking Republican dominance.

> 1988
## Campaign effectiveness
Paxton's masculinity campaign may not work as voters prioritize economic issues over cultural messaging.

> it’s still the economy stupid
## Key message
Talarico's focus on affordability is breaking through to voters who care about cost of living.

> they like that somebody’s talking to them about the cost of groceries
## What happens next
Talarico could break decades of Republican dominance in Texas Senate race if economic messaging resonates.

> democrats might have a chance
## Key takeaway

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's campaign focuses on masculinity to attack Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, but voters prioritize economic issues over cultural messaging.