The Republicans Who Impugn Talarico’s Manhood Republicans have launched a coordinated and overt attack on Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, questioning his masculinity and associating him with being “weak and woke.” This strategy aims to leverage perceived unmanliness against Talarico, while simultaneously attempting to obscure the controversies surrounding their own candidate, Ken Paxton, who faces allegations of corruption and other scandals. The attacks on Talarico also extend to his religious views, contrasting his inclusive Christian vision with a more muscular, masculine religiosity promoted by MAGA figures, framing the conflict as a battle over the nature of American Christianity. Despite the character assassination attempts, Talarico has begun to counterpunch, embracing negative labels and revising some of his past statements, while also being presented as willing to engage with those outside his political tribe, in contrast to his opponent.

• Republicans are using aggressive and coordinated attacks on James Talarico, questioning his masculinity with terms like “Low-T Talarico” and “Six-Gender Jimmy.”
• The overarching Republican strategy is to associate the left with being “weak and woke” and “not manly.”
• Attacks on Talarico include insinuations about his sexual orientation and mocking his relationship status and dietary choices.
• Ken Paxton, the Republican candidate, faces numerous controversies, including impeachment over corruption allegations, a contested divorce, and a dropped securities-fraud case.
• Talarico’s past statements, such as God being “nonbinary” and suggesting there are six sexes, are being used against him.
• The conflict is also framed as a battle over the nature of American Christianity, contrasting Talarico’s inclusive views with MAGA’s “muscular, masculine religiosity.”
• Talarico is fighting back by embracing negative labels, revising past statements, and highlighting Paxton’s lack of debate experience.
• The Republican strategy of attacking opponents’ masculinity may alienate female voters.
• The GOP’s focus on “Things That Are Gay” instead of issues like high gas prices is seen as a strategy born of “submissive desperation.”