Texas – “John, only in authoritarian countries does someone else get to decide where you work. Not in Texas. Those concerned might want to channel their energy into broadening R outreach to a coalition of voters rather than just those already converted,” Sen. John Cornyn wrote on X after former staffer Jacob Smith joined Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico’s campaign.
Smith, who spent about five years working for Cornyn as a deputy legislative director and policy adviser, recently joined Talarico’s campaign as deputy policy director. The move drew attention because Talarico is running for the same U.S. Senate seat Cornyn currently holds, while Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton is the GOP nominee for the November election, FOX 7 reported.
The hiring was first reported by NOTUS and was subsequently covered by several news organizations. Smith previously worked for Cornyn in the Senate and also held positions with other Republican lawmakers, including former Rep. Frank Lucas of Oklahoma and Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, according to Breitbart.
Talarico’s campaign described the hire as part of its effort to build a bipartisan coalition ahead of the Senate race. Smith said he had spent his career working for Republicans but was now choosing to join Talarico because he believed the Democratic candidate was focused on issues affecting everyday Texans rather than partisan politics.
“I’ve worked for Republicans like Senator Cornyn my entire career, but this year I’m proud to be joining James Talarico’s campaign,” Smith said in a statement released by the campaign.
Smith also directly criticized Paxton, who defeated Cornyn in the Republican primary runoff earlier this year and will face Talarico in November.
“Ken Paxton is the most corrupt, self-dealing politician in Texas who would sell out working people’s futures to the highest contributor just to hold onto power,” Smith said. He encouraged Republicans who believe Paxton is unfit for the Senate to vote against him.
The move was notable because Cornyn had been seeking another term in the Senate before losing the Republican nomination to Paxton. Paxton defeated Cornyn in the primary runoff, setting up the general-election contest with Talarico.
Rather than criticizing Smith for leaving his office, Cornyn defended his former aide’s ability to choose his next employer.
His response appeared aimed at Republicans who objected to Smith joining the Democratic campaign. Cornyn argued that political supporters should focus less on trying to prevent former staff members from working for opposing campaigns and more on expanding the Republican Party’s appeal beyond voters who already support the GOP.
“Those concerned might want to channel their energy into broadening R outreach to a coalition of voters rather than just those already converted,” Cornyn wrote.
The response comes as both Talarico and Paxton attempt to appeal to voters beyond their respective party bases. Talarico, a Democratic state senator, is seeking to become the first Democrat elected to the Texas Senate in decades, while Paxton is attempting to hold the seat for Republicans after defeating Cornyn in the primary.
Several reports have characterized Smith’s move as an unusual cross-party switch, particularly because of his senior position in Cornyn’s office. The Washington Examiner reported that Smith had served as Cornyn’s deputy legislative director and policy adviser for five years before taking the deputy policy director position with Talarico.
Fox 7 Austin similarly reported that Smith had most recently served as Cornyn’s deputy legislative director before joining Talarico’s campaign. The outlet noted that Talarico is running against Paxton for the Senate seat Cornyn is leaving after his primary defeat.
The hire also gives Talarico’s campaign a staffer with experience inside a Republican Senate office and knowledge of federal policymaking. Talarico’s campaign has emphasized that Smith’s background reflects its effort to attract Republicans and independents in addition to Democratic voters.
Smith said Talarico would represent all Texans regardless of party affiliation and argued that the Democrat’s message could appeal to voters who are frustrated with partisan politics.
Cornyn’s response did not indicate that he was endorsing Talarico. Instead, he said Republicans should concentrate on building a broader coalition of voters. Cornyn has continued to support Republican candidates despite his primary defeat, while Paxton remains the Republican nominee in the Senate race.
The exchange underscores the unusual political circumstances surrounding the Texas Senate contest, with a former Cornyn aide now working directly for the Democrat seeking the seat and Cornyn publicly defending his former employee’s decision to make the move.
