U.S. Senate Archives - San Antonio Current

Senate Republicans finally mobilize with big money for Ken Paxton in Texas

After opposing Paxton in his primary and sitting out all summer, Senate GOP leadership is dropping tens of millions to help the attorney general play catch-up on the airwaves.

by Gabby Birenbaum, The Texas Tribune September 11, 2026September 11, 2026

DALLAS — Senate Leadership Fund, the super PAC affiliated with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, is coming off the sidelines in Texas’ U.S. Senate race, placing its first ad buy of the general election in support of Ken Paxton. Texas PAC, a new group connected to SLF, on Friday purchased an initial tranche of some […]

At midterm convention, Trump vows to campaign hard for Paxton after mocking his speech and looks

The president used his winding, nearly two-hour keynote address to try to boost Republicans around the country, telling his supporters to ‘pretend that I’m on the ballot’ this fall.

by Gabby Birenbaum, The Texas Tribune September 10, 2026September 10, 2026

Ken Paxton whistleblower endorses James Talarico in Texas’ U.S. Senate race

David Maxwell was among the top attorney general officials who reported Paxton to the FBI and later testified at his impeachment trial.

by Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune September 8, 2026September 8, 2026

Ted Cruz took gifts from millionaires last year that included a $76,000 private jet flight to the tropics

Other gifts the Texas Republican took from business execs included a $21,000 private plane flight between Conroe and San Antonio and $450 Houston Astros tickets.

by Sanford Nowlin September 3, 2026September 3, 2026

Assclown Alert: Calling out James Talarico as a ‘backdoor to Al Qaeda’ with Texas pastor Lance Wallnau

During a TV appearance, the Christian nationalist preacher claimed Talarico is “being groomed” by mysterious left-wing “labs” intent on destroying America.

by Sanford Nowlin August 31, 2026August 31, 2026

Trump visits Texas to fundraise for Ken Paxton’s Senate bid

The president’s trip, which includes a GOP event and a NASA ceremony, comes as the Texas attorney general trails his U.S. Senate challenger James Talarico in the polls and fundraising.

by Stephen Simpson, The Texas Tribune August 28, 2026August 28, 2026

Talarico campaign asks court to unseal Paxton’s depositions in energy investing dispute

The petition, to be filed in Collin County, seeks the transcripts from two rounds of testimony Paxton gave as part of a legal clash that entangled his financial adviser and former business associates.

by Kayla Guo, The Texas Tribune August 26, 2026August 26, 2026

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle skip out on Ted Cruz’s hearing full of anti-Muslim conspiracies

One of the Texas Republican’s Senate colleagues referred to his hearing as an Islamophobic ‘political creepshow.’

by Sanford Nowlin August 7, 2026August 7, 2026

How low will U.S. Sen. John Cornyn go for Trump's endorsement?

John Cornyn’s unmet demands imperil Trump’s U.S. attorney general nomination

Texas’ outgoing senator has insisted on written assurance that President Trump’s “anti-weaponization fund” is dead as a condition for voting to advance Todd Blanche’s nomination.

by Gabby Birenbaum, The Texas Tribune July 30, 2026July 30, 2026

New poll shows James Talarico leading Ken Paxton by 5 points in Texas’ U.S. Senate race

Talarico also has a 9-point lead over his opponent when it comes to which voters think will better address affordability.

by Sanford Nowlin July 28, 2026July 28, 2026

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaks at a conservative conference.

Ken Paxton’s Senate campaign admits it took illegal campaign donations

In a letter, the Texas Republican’s campaign said it returned $17,500 in contributions that federal regulators flagged for exceeding legal limits.

by Sanford Nowlin July 24, 2026July 24, 2026

From left: Democratic and Republican nominees for U.S. Senate James Talarico and Ken Paxton

Ken Paxton’s campaign says he will debate James Talarico in Texas’ U.S. Senate race

Paxton’s campaign said he plans to debate after Talarico challenged him to do so, though it did not commit to a specific host.

by Gabby Birenbaum, The Texas Tribune July 16, 2026July 16, 2026

How suing Biden more than 100 times fueled Ken Paxton’s rise and reshaped Texans’ lives

As attorney general, Paxton threw unprecedented resources into stopping Biden’s agenda. That record is his sword and shield as he runs for U.S. Senate.

by Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune July 14, 2026July 14, 2026

James Talarico raises over $30 million in second quarter, campaign says, more than triple Ken Paxton’s sum

The Austin Democrat’s haul is a record for a U.S. Senate candidate in the second quarter of an election year and is nearly three times what Beto O’Rourke raised in the same period in 2018.

by Kayla Guo, The Texas Tribune July 9, 2026July 9, 2026

From an indictment to an alleged affair, Ken Paxton’s controversies hang over his Senate bid

The attorney general has won statewide elections twice since his legal woes began. This time he will be at the top of the ticket, facing a fundraising juggernaut in James Talarico.

by Alejandro Serrano, The Texas Tribune June 22, 2026June 22, 2026

From left: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and state Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin. The two are the Republican and Democratic nominees for the U.S. Senate race, to be decided in November.

Talarico goes all-in with attack on Paxton plea deal in child sex abuse case

The Democratic Senate candidate continued his push for the release of files related to a plea deal his GOP rival’s office offered admitted child molester Adam Hoffman.

by Taylor Goldstein, The Texas Tribune June 20, 2026June 20, 2026

Ted Cruz wants us all to know he was at Trump’s UFC beatdown

Despite just 16% of Americans in a new poll approving of Trump staging a cage match on the White House lawn, Cruz gushed that it was “pure Americana.”

by Sanford Nowlin June 15, 2026June 15, 2026

Sen. John Cornyn speaks during a hearing last year.

Going out with a pathetic whimper like U.S. Sen. John Cornyn

Trump sunk Cornyn’s reelection hopes, but the Texas Republican went back to Washington and voted for the president’s agenda just like nothing happened.

by Sanford Nowlin June 9, 2026June 9, 2026

Can James Talarico do better than Beto?

With his scandalized general election opponent now set, the newest Texas Democrat phenom begins his barnstorming of the state.

by Eden Shamy, Texas Observer June 5, 2026June 5, 2026

U.S. John Cornyn's campaign and its allies spent big to keep him in office. It didn't work.

How Cornyn-aligned dark money fueled Texas’ record-breaking Senate primary

Texans for a Conservative Majority raised $35.6 million this cycle. Roughly a quarter of that came from groups not required to disclose their donors.

by Emma Sullivan, Open Secrets May 28, 2026May 28, 2026