Texas Attorney General and US Senate candidate Ken Paxton is warning voters that Democrat James Talarico is concealing the liberal record he built during a decade in the Texas House.

Paxton delivered that message during an appearance with Maria Bartiromo on Sunday Morning Futures, as reported by The Gateway Pundit.

The contest carries national consequences because Republicans cannot afford to surrender a Senate seat in a state President Trump carried.

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Polling nevertheless shows a close race, which reflects the familiar challenges facing the party in a midterm election.

“This is a state that President Trump won. Why is this race so close, and what are you doing about it?” Bartiromo asked.

“It’s a different environment. Midterm elections are always challenging. They have been challenging in the past,” Paxton said.

His answer acknowledged the political climate without pretending Texas Republicans can simply coast on the strength of the party label.

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Paxton made clear that defeat is not an acceptable option. “We’re gonna win this. We have to win this for the country.”

He also connected the Texas contest directly to control of the upper chamber. “We have to win this for really, holding on to the US Senate,” Paxton said.

Bartiromo pressed him on whether Republicans could preserve their Senate majority without winning Texas. “I don’t think they can hold on to it unless we hold Texas,” Paxton continued.

That reality makes Talarico’s record more than a local concern.

If Democrats can disguise a longtime liberal as something more palatable and capture a Texas Senate seat, their national ambitions suddenly become much easier.

“Obviously, this guy is hiding his true views that he has held for the last ten years in the Texas House,” Paxton said.

The attorney general argued that voters are being shown a polished campaign image rather than the positions Talarico has repeatedly embraced.

“There are literally hundreds of things that he’s said similar to which you already posted, and those are the things we need to let voters know,” Paxton said.

In other words, the issue is not one stray remark that can be waved away by a campaign consultant.

Paxton also accused major news organizations of refusing to examine the Democrat with anything resembling the scrutiny routinely aimed at Republicans.

“The mainstream media, as Trump would call the fake media, they are not exposing his real record,” Paxton continued.

That friendly media treatment is being reinforced by a large financial advantage fueled by liberal donors outside Texas.

Paxton said Talarico had amassed a major campaign account while he emerged from his own race without money available for the next battle.

“He’s got a lot of money coming in from California and other liberal states, so he had $30 million. When I finished my race, I had zero.”

Paxton said his campaign is therefore seeking support from conservatives across the country.

“So, we are trying to get help from all over the country,” Paxton explained.

The appeal reflects the national stakes, since liberal money pouring into Texas is plainly intended to affect control of the Senate, not merely impress local political insiders.

Bartiromo asked whether Senate Republicans and party leaders were providing assistance. Paxton said he had spoken with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senator Tim Scott, and other Republican figures about the race.

“They have been very supportive. I’ve talked to Senator Thune.” Paxton also said, “I’ve talked to Senator Scott, and many others. Been very supportive.”

Paxton expects outside Republican groups to invest in the contest, although federal election rules limit coordination between campaigns and independent organizations.

“They are planning on spending money here, is my understanding. I don’t control that. We can’t necessarily coordinate with them,” Paxton said.

The immediate challenge is matching Talarico’s enormous television spending before his campaign can define the race without meaningful opposition.

“We need help now because James Talarico has been spending 3 or 4 million dollars a week on TV for the last month.”

Paxton said he wants the resources needed to put Talarico’s actual beliefs before Texas voters.

“So, I want to compete. I want to be able to tell people exactly what he believes because I am convinced when Texas knows that, know those issues and know what he actually believes, he will not be elected in the State of Texas,” Paxton continued.

The race now appears poised to become a test of whether liberal money and friendly media coverage can overcome a Democrat’s established legislative record.

Paxton is betting that once Texans see the full picture, Talarico’s carefully packaged campaign will collapse under the weight of his own views.

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