The U.S. Chamber of Commerce endorses Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the 2026 battleground Texas Senate contest against Democrat James Talarico. The endorsement comes as early voting begins on October 19, 2026, following dueling Sunday rallies in Plano and San Antonio. Despite Paxton defeating Senator John Cornyn in May, analysts at Cook Political Report rate the race a toss-up, with Decision Desk HQ giving Talarico a narrow 54 percent lead as he highlights Paxton's 2023 impeachment.
Chamber of Commerce endorsement of Paxton
- ▪The U.S. Chamber of Commerce announced its endorsement of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton over Democrat James Talarico in the 2026 Texas Senate race
- ▪Neil Bradley, Executive Vice President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, stated Ken Paxton has defended free enterprise, low-tax environments, and the energy sector against burdensome federal mandates
- ▪Neil Bradley stated the U.S. Chamber of Commerce looks forward to working with Ken Paxton on legal reform to protect job creators from lawsuit abuse
Competitive outlook of the Senate race
- ▪Following his primary victory in May 2026, Ken Paxton struggled to build a lead over James Talarico amid dissatisfaction with the Texas Republican Party
- ▪Cook Political Report shifted the 2026 Texas Senate race between Ken Paxton and James Talarico to a 'toss-up' rating in August 2026
- ▪Decision Desk HQ designated the 2026 Texas Senate race as a coin flip, giving Democrat James Talarico a 54 percent probability of winning the Texas Senate seat
Paxton's 2023 impeachment
- ▪The Texas state Senate acquitted Attorney General Ken Paxton following his 2023 impeachment by the Texas state House
- ▪Democrat James Talarico has campaigned against Ken Paxton by highlighting Paxton's 2023 impeachment by the Texas state House
Chamber of Commerce opposition to Trump tariffs
- ▪The U.S. Chamber of Commerce opposed President Trump's sweeping tariffs in an amicus brief filed in a Supreme Court case, arguing they caused irreparable harm to businesses
- ▪The U.S. Supreme Court rejected President Trump's expanded use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and ruled his broad tariffs were unlawful
- ▪Following the Supreme Court's ruling that found Trump's tariffs unlawful, Neil Bradley urged the Trump administration to reset tariff policy to foster economic growth and wage gains
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