Attorney General Ken Paxton is taking aim at Democrat U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico over his votes against measures restricting China’s access to Texas land and taxpayer dollars.
Speaking Tuesday to reporters and a group of veterans at a VFW post in Universal City, just outside San Antonio and near Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Paxton called China the “single greatest threat” facing the United States on the global stage.
He argued that Talarico’s record in the Texas House shows he has failed to take that threat seriously.
Paxton specifically pointed to Talarico’s vote last year against Senate Bill 17, which restricts the purchase of Texas land by individuals and entities connected to China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
“When Senate Bill 17 came to the floor of the Texas House, James Talarico voted no,” said Paxton.
Paxton argued that the vote should take on added significance as Talarico seeks a seat in the U.S. Senate.
“You cannot be soft on China and serious about Texas or our national security,” said Paxton. “James Talarico’s record is not just radical; it’s dangerous.”
Paxton also highlighted Talarico’s opposition to Senate Bill 667, another measure passed by lawmakers last year. The legislation prohibits Texas governmental entities from contracting with certain companies associated with hostile foreign adversaries, including companies owned by or headquartered in China.
“While Texans are struggling to make ends meet, Talarico voted to let your taxpayer dollars go to Chinese companies,” said Paxton. “Think about that for a second. Texans are choosing between the grocery bill and the electric bill right now, and James Talarico voted to take their taxpayer dollars, and then put them in the pockets of the Chinese Communist Party.”
Both measures ultimately passed and were signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott.
Much of Paxton’s remarks focused on concerns about Chinese influence in Texas, particularly near military installations.
He pointed to the purchase of more than 100,000 acres in Val Verde County by Chinese billionaire and former People’s Liberation Army officer Sun Guangxin. The property is located near Laughlin Air Force Base.
“This is not a coincidence,” said Paxton. “It is a calculated decision made by somebody in Beijing.”
“The Chinese Communist Party is not just a competitor or a rival. It is the single greatest threat our country faces on the global stage,” he added. “They are not trying to beat America; they are trying to replace it.”
Paxton argued that China is increasingly seeking influence in the United States through economic means.
“They buy the land, they buy the ports, they buy the technology, they buy the university research, they buy influence in places most people never think to look, and they do it so slow that nobody notices,” he said.
Paxton also touted actions his office has taken against Chinese-linked companies, including lawsuits involving TP-Link, Anzu Robotics, and Lorex, as well as an investigation into Chinese artificial intelligence company DeepSeek.
He then returned to Talarico’s record, arguing that the Democrat’s votes in the Texas Legislature should concern voters as he seeks federal office.
“Now he would like a promotion to the United States Senate, where the stakes get even higher, where the votes are about Taiwan, about semiconductors, about aircraft carriers, about our national security,” said Paxton.
“James Talarico sold Texas out to China,” he added.
Talarico’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment on Paxton’s remarks or an explanation of his votes against SB 17 and SB 667.
