Texas – “It doesn’t take AI for Texans to know James Talarico is lying to them,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a post on X, accusing his Democratic U.S. Senate opponent of supporting policies involving Chinese land purchases, transgender issues, a state income tax and the release of violent criminals.
“Talarico voted to allow China to buy our land. Talarico voted to trans our children. Talarico voted to force a state income tax on Texans. Talarico voted to let violent criminals out on the streets,” Paxton wrote.
Paxton’s comments came after Talarico released a new television advertisement directly addressing several of the attacks being made against him during the increasingly heated Texas Senate race.
According to the Washington Post, in the ad, Talarico responds to claims about his positions by saying, “No, I’m not a member of the Chinese Communist Party. No, I don’t support sex-change surgeries for kids.”
Talarico also accuses Paxton of using artificial intelligence to create videos that make him appear to say things he did not actually say. “Ken Paxton is lying about my record, even making fake A.I. videos of me,” Talarico says in the advertisement.
The back-and-forth is part of a broader advertising battle between Paxton and Talarico as both campaigns seek to define the other candidate before the November election.
The Washington Post reported that the two candidates released dueling advertisements Friday, with Talarico’s ad specifically addressing accusations involving the Chinese Communist Party and gender-transition surgeries for minors. The report said the exchange reflects the increasingly personal nature of the Senate contest.
Paxton and his allies have repeatedly made China and transgender policy major themes of their attacks on Talarico.
One major point of contention involves Talarico’s vote against Senate Bill 17, legislation restricting certain foreign ownership of Texas land. Paxton has previously criticized Talarico over that vote, arguing that it demonstrated insufficient concern about Chinese influence. Texas Scorecard reported that Paxton has made China one of the central issues in his criticism of Talarico and has pointed to the Democrat’s votes against restrictions involving Chinese-linked land purchases.
The issue has also been prominent in campaign advertising. The Houston Chronicle reported that Paxton and Republican-aligned groups have spent millions on advertisements warning about Chinese Communist Party influence and Chinese investors buying Texas land.
Talarico’s new advertisement attempts to directly reject those attacks rather than allowing the claims to stand without a response.
The transgender issue has become another major point of conflict.
Talarico voted against Senate Bill 14 in 2023, legislation that prohibited gender-affirming medical interventions for transgender minors and barred public money from being used for such procedures. Talarico has said he opposed the legislation because he believed it was too broad and could affect medical care for people who are not transgender. He has also said that he opposes sex-reassignment surgery for minors.
PolitiFact recently examined Republican claims that Talarico supported taxpayer-funded sex-change surgeries for children and rated that specific claim false. The fact-check noted that Talarico voted against SB 14 but did not vote in favor of using taxpayer money to fund surgeries for young children.
At the same time, Talarico has faced scrutiny over his previous statements about transgender issues and gender-affirming care. His campaign has sought to emphasize his current positions as Republicans continue highlighting his earlier comments and legislative record.
Artificial intelligence has added another dimension to the race.
FactCheck.org previously examined a Paxton campaign advertisement that used an AI-generated version of Talarico. The fact-check found that the ad combined separate comments from Talarico and removed context surrounding some of his remarks, while also including phrases that were not part of his original statements.
The Washington Post has reported that AI-generated and AI-enhanced political advertising has become an increasingly prominent feature of the 2026 midterm campaign, including advertisements targeting Talarico.
Talarico’s latest advertisement specifically references those tactics, arguing that Paxton’s campaign does not need AI to attack him because, in Talarico’s words, “the truth about Ken Paxton is bad enough.” The ad then shifts its focus to Paxton’s own record and controversies.
Paxton, meanwhile, is continuing to frame Talarico’s legislative record as evidence that the Democrat does not represent the positions he now presents to voters.
The latest exchange also comes as outside groups have poured substantial resources into the Texas Senate race. The Houston Chronicle reported that a Republican-aligned political action committee connected to the Senate Leadership Fund spent nearly $131 million on advertisements supporting Paxton or attacking Talarico between Sept. 11 and Sept. 29.
The advertising fight has increasingly centered on cultural issues, China and the candidates’ respective records, while both campaigns accuse the other side of misleading voters.
Paxton’s latest X post specifically targets Talarico’s new attempt to answer those attacks, arguing that voters do not need AI to determine whether his opponent is being truthful.
Talarico’s campaign, meanwhile, is using its new advertisement to reject the accusations and portray Paxton’s attacks as distortions of his record.
With the Senate contest entering the final weeks before the November election, the dispute over Talarico’s record, Paxton’s advertisements and the use of AI-generated political content is expected to remain a central part of the campaign.
