Rick Santorum, former Pennsylvania Republican Senator, stated Tuesday that Texas will not turn blue this year’s U.S. Senate race due to the Democratic candidate’s choices.
Santorum emphasized that while Texas remains competitive, it is neither a traditional swing state nor a solidly red one. “There’s very little likelihood because of the candidate,” he said. “Texas is not a ruby red state, but it’s not a swing state either.”
Former Trump administration adviser T.W. Shannon also dismissed speculation that Democrats could flip Texas in November. Shannon criticized Democratic candidate James Talarico as “radical,” “out of touch,” and far removed from Texas values. He further described Talarico as someone who has “mocked Jesus” and claimed the candidate represents coastal politics rather than the heartland.
Shannon stated, “This is a guy that has mocked Jesus.” He also noted Talarico is “to the left of Jasmine Crockett” and warned that Texas voters would reject what he called a far-left agenda.
Santorum highlighted President Donald Trump’s recent endorsement of Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Republican Senate runoff against incumbent John Cornyn. He explained that Trump intervened only after internal polling showed Paxton leading Cornyn. “Trump likes to be with winners,” Santorum added, saying the endorsement effectively sealed the race for the conservative attorney general.
Santorum characterized the primary battle as more about political style than ideology. “If you look at the voting record between what will be Ken’s voting record versus John’s voting record, there won’t be much difference,” he said. “Ken is a hard-charging, principled conservative. He’s a fighter.”
The former senator also defended Paxton against ongoing legal and ethics controversies, stating many Texas voters view these investigations as politically motivated. “He’s never been convicted of anything,” Santorum remarked. “I think this will go away too when the general election comes around.”
