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Khaleda Rahman

By Khaleda Rahman

National Correspondent

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A major donor to Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton has announced his support for Democratic opponent James Talarico in the closely watched U.S. Senate race in Texas.

Thomas J. Henry, a prominent attorney and the founder of the personal injury law firm Thomas J. Henry Law, which has offices in five cities in Texas, announced his endorsement of Talarico in a video posted on X on Wednesday night.

“I'm Thomas J. Henry. I'm here to announce my support for James Talarico for United States Senator from Texas,” he said.

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Henry, who donated more than $600,000 to a super PAC supporting Paxton's candidacy, said he had made the decision to support Talarico, the state lawmaker and former teacher, after meeting with him to discuss the issues affecting Texas and the nation. He found Talarico's approach “balanced, straightforward, and honest," he said.

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“Whether it was the security of our country or the economics of our state and our country, James has a balanced approach to trying to solve those problems for all of us,” he said.

Newsweek contacted Henry's office and the Paxton and Talarico campaigns for comment via email outside regular business hours on Thursday.

The endorsement comes as most polls show Talarico narrowly ahead of Paxton in a Senate race that could determine party control of the chamber. If he wins, he would be the first Democrat to win a statewide race in reliably red Texas in 32 years. Close polling in other recent statewide Texas votes had ultimately proved false dawns for Democrats.

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico walks to an American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations rally at the Texas Gulf Coast Labor Federation in Houston on October 21, 2026.

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In his video Henry also addressed his support for Paxton, the state’s attorney general, during the Republican primary against four-term Senator John Cornyn. Ahead of a May runoff in that race, Thomas J. Henry Law made two donations totalling $646,107 to Lone Star Liberty PAC, a pro-Republican super PAC supporting Paxton’s Senate bid, according to FEC filings reviewed by Newsweek.

“Now I know some of you know that I supported Paxton in the race against Cornyn,” Henry said in the video.

“One of the reasons I did that was because Cornyn had been in office way too long. I think that politicians shouldn't serve endless terms in the U.S. Senate. Also, at the time I supported Paxton, I recognized that Paxton would not debate Cornyn.”

Henry added that after learning more about the issues affecting Paxton, who has faced a series of political and legal troubles, he felt that meeting with Talarico would be important.

“That meeting was extremely valuable because it taught me the values Talarico has [encompass] values for respect, fairness, safety, good economics for Texas and our country, and a balanced approach to all the issues,” he said.

“So this year, I am so proud to support James Talarico for U.S. Senate and I encourage everyone to get out and support the candidate they want to support.”

George W. Bush’s Brother Backs Talarico

On Tuesday, former Republican president George W. Bush’s brother Neil Bush revealed that he had voted for Talarico for U.S. Senate in a snub to Paxton.

In a post on Facebook, the 71-year-old son of former Republican President George H. W. Bush and chair of his father's nonprofit Points of Light, wrote that while he has been a Republican for most of his life, character “matters more than party affiliation.”

"I voted early today, and I voted for James Talarico for the United States Senate," he wrote in the post.

He wrote that his vote for Talarico was partly motivated by “deep concern” about Paxton's record, noting Paxton's impeachment by the Republican-controlled Texas House and later acquittal by the Texas Senate.

But he added it was “about much more” than his opposition to the Republican candidate.

He wrote that although he has never met Talarico, he has been enormously impressed by the way he approaches complicated and controversial issues.

“He speaks with respect, seeks common ground, and seems genuinely interested in bringing people together rather than driving them apart. His faith appears to be a deeply rooted source of humility, compassion, and conviction rather than a political weapon,” he wrote.

“I see in him the qualities I admire most in public servants: integrity, civility, humility, and a willingness to listen to those with whom he disagrees. My impression is that he is a principled, pragmatic leader who understands that public office is a responsibility to serve, not an entitlement to power.”

He concluded: “Our democracy depends on leaders who respect our institutions, tell the truth, accept accountability, and seek to unite rather than divide. Today, I voted against a style of politics that I believe has damaged our country. More importantly, I voted for the kind of character and leadership I hope will help heal it.”

Which Other Republicans Are Backing Talarico?

Several other current and former Republican officials and party figures have endorsed Talarico’s campaign against Paxton in Texas.

Adam Kinzinger, a former Republican congressman from Illinois who now lives in Texas, expressed his support for Talarico during a campaign event in Houston on Wednesday.

"We want to live in an America that understands that our Americanness, our oneness transcends party, which is why you're seeing a former Republican stand in front of you and say there is no clearer choice for U.S. Senate than James Talarico," he said.

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Earlier this week, Wayne Thorburn, a former Texas Republican Party executive director who wrote Red State: An Insider's Story of How the GOP Came to Dominate Texas Politics, revealed he was backing Talarico in the Senate race.

“Like so many people, I think I’m looking at the character aspects of this race,” Thorburn said in an interview with The Blast, the Texas Tribune’s newsletter. “That, to me, is really important."

Thorburn said he has never met Talarico, but from what he has seen and read, he believes him to "a man of individual character" who "will do what he thinks is the proper and right thing for all of Texas when he’s in the Senate.”

Last month, Talarico’s campaign announced that Kinzinger was among 21 current and former Republican officials and party figures backing his campaign.

“We’re bringing Texans together onto one team to take power back for working people,” Talarico wrote on X. “Because the real fight in this country isn’t left versus right—it’s top versus bottom.”

The Republicans endorsing Talarico are:

James Talarico's Lead Wiped Out: Fox News Poll

A new poll from Fox News released on Wednesday suggested Talarico’s lead had been wiped out, finding support for Paxton and Talarico tied at 49 percent while 1 percent said they don’t know.

The poll surveyed 1,398 likely voters from October 15 to October 19 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.5 percent.

The same survey last month found Talarico was ahead with two points among likely voters, with 51 percent support compared to Paxton’s 49 percent. One percent of respondents said they didn’t know. That survey was conducted among 881 likely voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points.

Republican Senate candidate, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton looks on as U.S. Vice President JD Vance speaks during a campaign rally at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport on October 13, 2026 in Tyler, Texas.

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James Talarico vs. Ken Paxton: What Latest Polls Show

Most recent polls show Talarico narrowly leading Paxton. The RealClearPolitics average of polls conducted between October 5 and 19 has him leading by 1.9 points—48.2 percent to Paxton's 46.3 percent—as of Thursday.

A new poll released by the Cook Political report on Wednesday shows Talarico leads Paxton, 49 percent to 44 percent. Libertarian Ted Brown landed 3 percent and 4 percent don't know. Independents back Talarico 65 percent to Paxton's 23 percent, according to the poll. That poll was conducted among 934 likely voters between October 9 and 13.

A CBS News/YouGov poll of 1,458 likely voters conducted from October 8 to 16, had Talarico up 51 percent to 49 percent. The margin of error was plus or minus 3.5 percentage points for likely voters. Similarly, a University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs poll of 2,000 likely voters, conducted October 10 to 14, found Talarico ahead, 48 percent to Paxton’s 46 percent. The survey has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.19 percentage points.

Paxton has led in only one recent public survey.

An InsiderAdvantage poll of 1,200 likely voters between October 13 and 14, showed Paxton with a narrow lead, 49 percent to Talarico’s 48 percent.

Contact Newsweek editor on this story: Edward Pearcey.

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