Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico has released a new campaign advertisement featuring a former aide to his Republican rival, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
David Maxwell, who spent close to ten years as the Texas attorney general’s office director of law enforcement, appears in the ad released on Monday.
Six years ago, Maxwell and other officials reported Paxton to the FBI, asserting that the attorney general inappropriately utilized his office for a friend and political donor’s advantage.
Maxwell and the other officials who made the report were subsequently fired, a move that set off years of legal and political battles surrounding Paxton’s conduct.
The allegations became central to Paxton’s impeachment trial in 2023, in which he denied any wrongdoing and was acquitted by the Republican-led Texas Senate.
Last year, a judge awarded a total of $6.6 million to Maxwell and three other former Paxton aides who had filed a whistleblower lawsuit following their dismissals.
In the advertisement, Maxwell states directly: “Ken Paxton ended my five-decade career because I blew the whistle on his corruption.”
Maxwell adds, “I am supporting James Talarico for the U.S. Senate,” lending the Democrat a credible Republican-linked voice in a traditionally red state.
Democrats usually face an uphill battle in Texas, but Paxton’s considerable political baggage has introduced new uncertainty into this year’s Senate race.
A recent poll showed Talarico leading Paxton, with 47 percent supporting the Democrat and 40 percent backing the Republican attorney general.
Talarico is also operating within a favorable electoral environment, with Democrats leading Republicans on generic congressional ballots and President Trump’s approval rating under significant pressure.
According to a polling average from Decision Desk HQ, Trump’s approval rating sat at 38.8 percent, while his disapproval rating reached 56.7 percent, compounding challenges for Republican candidates heading into November.
The unpopular war in Iran, which recently passed the six-month mark, has further weighed on the broader political climate that Republican candidates must now navigate ahead of the general election.
