If S.E. Cupp is openly admitting on CNN that a Paxton versus Talarico Senate race would put Texas “in play,” the left is already tasting blood in the water. What she’s really signaling is that Democrats believe Attorney General Ken Paxton’s ongoing legal battles and the circus of impeachment theatrics have left him damaged enough that a polished, gun-grabbing progressive like James Talarico could turn the Lone Star State into a genuine battleground. For the 2A community, this should serve as a five-alarm wake-up call. Texas isn’t supposed to be “in play” on issues as fundamental as the right to keep and bear arms, yet here we are.
Paxton has been one of the most aggressive defenders of Second Amendment rights in the country, repeatedly suing the Biden administration over ATF rule changes, pistol braces, and ghost gun regulations while backing constitutional carry and shall-issue permitting. Talarico, by contrast, is a vocal advocate for every gun control scheme imaginable: red flag laws, so-called “assault weapon” bans, and the full spectrum of Democrat disarmament fantasies. A Senate seat flipping from Paxton’s proven pro-2A record to Talarico’s anti-gun activism would be catastrophic not just for Texas but for the national balance of power on firearms issues. Suddenly Chuck Schumer would have another reliable vote to push national licensing, magazine bans, and universal background checks that morph into national registries.
The deeper implication is that the corporate media’s endless drumbeat against Paxton may finally be bearing fruit among suburban voters who care more about “mean tweets” and headlines than about actual policy outcomes. Second Amendment supporters cannot afford complacency in the nation’s biggest red state. If Texas is truly “in play,” the firearms community must treat this race as an existential priority: turnout, donations, and relentless education on how Talarico’s agenda would erode the rights millions of Texans exercise every day. The difference between a Paxton victory and a Talarico upset could literally be measured in millions of lost gun rights over the next decade.
