JD Vance says "Texas is not becoming California" as he backs Ken Paxton in Senate race

Five days before Election Day, Vice President JD Vance campaigned in Weatherford, Texas, for Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton, using the closing stretch of a close race to cast Democrat James Talarico as out of step with the state and aligned with national party leaders. Vance accused Talarico, an Austin state representative, of obscuring his liberal positions in ads. The same day, Talarico rallied in Dallas with gubernatorial nominee Gina Hinojosa and accused Paxton of corruption and dependence on wealthy donors. The appearances underscored the stakes: Republicans are trying to preserve a Senate seat and more than three decades of statewide dominance, while Democrats are pressing for a breakthrough. Vance’s remarks framed the contest as a test of whether Texas would resist national Democratic influence and maintain its own political direction.