Texas – “What normal person can name their favorite drag queen this quickly?” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton asked as he targeted Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico after a video circulated showing Talarico immediately naming Alyssa Edwards as his favorite Texas drag queen.
Paxton used the moment to renew his attacks on Talarico, accusing the Democratic candidate of holding positions that are too radical for Texas and pointing to Talarico’s previous comments about drag performances and children.
“When James Talarico isn’t advocating for children to dress in drag, he’s watching drag performances and saying that Texas produces the best drag queens,” Paxton wrote. “James Talarico is too weird and too radical for Texas.”
The exchange quickly became part of the increasingly contentious Texas Senate race, with Republican officials and conservative commentators using the video to criticize Talarico while his supporters and some LGBTQ advocates pushed back against the framing of his comments.
The video shows Talarico being asked what his favorite drag queen in Texas is. He quickly answered “Alyssa Edwards,” a well-known Texas drag performer who rose to national prominence through “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Fox News reported that the question came during a campaign event and that Talarico answered without hesitation.
The short clip quickly spread across social media, prompting criticism from Paxton and other Republicans. The New York Post reported that the Republican backlash included comments from Paxton, Vice President JD Vance, Rep. Brandon Gill and former Trump adviser Stephen Miller.
Paxton’s criticism also referenced earlier remarks by Talarico about drag performers. In July, Fox News reported that resurfaced comments showed Talarico describing Texas drag queens as among the best in the country. Paxton’s campaign at the time criticized those remarks as part of a broader effort to portray Talarico as out of step with Texas voters.
The latest dispute comes after Talarico has already faced sustained Republican criticism over his views on transgender issues, LGBTQ rights and his previous public comments.
Talarico has also recently adjusted some of his positions and language on transgender issues. In an interview earlier this month, he said he opposed transgender athletes competing in girls’ sports when he believes it threatens safety or fairness. He also acknowledged that some of his previous comments, including his past statement about there being “six” sexes, “missed the mark.” Those remarks have become part of the Republican effort to define him ahead of the Senate election.
Paxton has repeatedly used Talarico’s past statements as a central part of his criticism of the Democratic candidate. The two are competing in a high-profile Senate contest, and their campaigns have increasingly focused on cultural issues alongside the economy, immigration, energy and other state and national policies.
The latest controversy, however, centered on the brief interaction about drag performances.
The Christian Post reported that Talarico’s quick response drew criticism from conservatives who questioned how readily he was able to name a favorite performer. The report also noted that Edwards has described herself as a drag performer who works with children.
Other reports have emphasized Talarico’s previous support for Texas drag performers. The New York Post said Republicans used the viral clip to revive earlier comments in which Talarico praised drag performers in Texas.
The controversy has also been amplified by the broader political debate surrounding drag performances involving children. Talarico previously appeared at an LGBTQ event that included a child drag performer, an appearance that has also been cited by conservative critics. The Washington Free Beacon reported last month that Talarico headlined a Pride event featuring an 11-year-old drag performer.
Paxton’s latest post did not focus on a specific policy proposal but instead used Talarico’s response about his favorite drag queen to argue that the Democrat’s cultural views make him unsuitable for statewide office.
Talarico has not publicly indicated that he plans to apologize for naming Edwards or withdraw his previous praise of Texas drag performers. The video itself does not show Talarico discussing children or advocating for children to participate in drag; those issues were raised by Paxton as part of his criticism of Talarico’s broader record and past comments.
The dispute illustrates how cultural issues have continued to dominate portions of the Texas Senate contest, with both campaigns using highly visible comments and social media clips to draw contrasts between the candidates.
For Paxton, the latest video provided another opportunity to portray Talarico as a liberal candidate whose views on gender and LGBTQ issues are incompatible with his vision for Texas. For Talarico, the episode is another example of Republicans focusing heavily on cultural controversies surrounding his past statements and appearances.
As the campaign continues, the viral clip of Talarico naming Edwards has become the latest flashpoint in an already heated political battle, with Paxton arguing that the moment demonstrates what he described as the Democratic candidate’s “radical” views.
