Talarico releases Texas Senate ads on Biden's border record and Paxton's data center ties
Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico released two TV ads, one saying he called out Joe Biden on the border and one attacking Ken Paxton over data center money. Newsweek covers both ads and the race; Fox News focuses on the border ad and a 2019 interview.
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The story, neutrally told
Mixed · 2Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico released two new television ads, one saying he called out former President Joe Biden "for failing us on the border" and another attacking Republican Ken Paxton over ties to the data center industry. NewsweekN “one in which he says he called out former President Joe Biden "for failing us on the border" and another going after Republican Ken Paxton over his ties to the data center industry” Read at Newsweek ↗ Fox NewsR “"I called out Joe Biden for failing us on the border," Talarico says in the opening of the ad released this week.” Read at Fox News ↗ Centre · 1In the data center ad, Talarico says Paxton, the state's attorney general, "gave data centers billions in special tax breaks and they gave him nearly half a million in campaign contributions." Newsweek said a NOTUS analysis of Federal Election Commission records found Paxton's campaign took in at least $448,000 through June from executives and committees tied to data center companies. NewsweekN “He gave data centers billions in special tax breaks and they gave him nearly half a million in campaign contributions.”“Paxton's campaign took in at least $448,000 through June from executives and committees tied to companies that build, run or invest in data centers.” Read at Newsweek ↗ Mixed · 2The ads came days after Talarico returned from a flu that kept him off the campaign trail for more than a week; Paxton and President Donald Trump had seized on the absence, and Trump called him "MISSING IN ACTION." Talarico reappeared Friday at the Austin City Limits festival, and Fox News reported that online rumours had claimed he was at a behavioral health center, which he denied. NewsweekN “Trump wrote on Truth Social that Talarico was "MISSING IN ACTION."” Read at Newsweek ↗ Fox NewsR “prompting viral rumors online to swirl that he was at a behavioral health center” Read at Fox News ↗
Mixed · 2Fox News Digital said Talarico's campaign could not give an example of him publicly criticising Biden during Biden's presidency, and cited a 2019 Austin Chronicle interview in which Talarico suggested redirecting Texas's roughly $800 million two-year border security budget to public education. Newsweek likewise reported that Republicans have questioned when his criticism began, and that Talarico has cited a 2022 speech. Fox NewsR “Talarico's campaign couldn't give Fox News Digital an example of him ever publicly criticizing Biden during his presidency.” Read at Fox News ↗ NewsweekN “Talarico has cited a speech from 2022.” Read at Newsweek ↗ Right · 1Campaign spokesperson JT Ennis told Fox News Digital that Talarico is the only candidate with a border security agenda endorsed by Republican and Democratic border county sheriffs, and that he supports more border patrol agents and deporting violent criminals and human traffickers, "not moms and babies." Fox NewsR “James is proud to be the only candidate in this race who has unveiled a border security agenda endorsed by Republican and Democratic border county sheriffs” Read at Fox News ↗ Centre · 1Newsweek reported that Talarico has led most polls since Paxton won the nomination, usually within the margin of error; the RealClearPolitics average for September 18 to October 8 had him ahead 48.1 percent to 45.3 percent. Paxton led 48 percent to 44 percent on securing the border in a late-July Texas Pulse poll, and Republican-aligned groups have far outspent Democratic ones, according to Newsweek. NewsweekN “The RealClearPolitics average of polls taken from September 18 to October 8 has him at 48.1 percent to Paxton's 45.3 percent.”“Republican super PACs overall have steered more than $150 million toward Paxton, against roughly $4 million from Democratic super PACs for Talarico.” Read at Newsweek ↗
Centre · 1On data centers, Newsweek said Talarico's July plan would repeal the sales tax exemption and require developers to fund their own power and water infrastructure, while Paxton's August plan also backs repealing incentives. Paxton's campaign has pointed to Reid Hoffman's money for a pro-Talarico super PAC, and CBS Texas found Talarico voted for a data center sales tax incentive in 2023 that never became law. NewsweekN “would repeal the state's sales tax exemption for the industry, require developers to fund their own power and water infrastructure”“CBS Texas also found that Talarico voted for a data center sales tax incentive in 2023, though it never became law.” Read at Newsweek ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Newsweek presents the ads as a strategy to build a coalition of border Hispanic voters and data-center-weary rural and suburban voters, set within polling, fundraising and spending context.
- Emphasis
- Polls, super PAC money, data center policy positions of both candidates, and the flu absence.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Gives little weight to the 2019 border budget interview Fox highlights.
- For example
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“the ads reflect the coalition Talarico needs to become the first Democrat to win statewide in Texas since 1994” — Newsweek
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- Fox News treats the border ad as a reversal, contrasting it with a 2019 interview and describing Talarico as a progressive moderating his stances.
- Emphasis
- The 2019 call to redirect border security funds, past remarks on ICE and immigration, and the campaign's inability to cite a break with Biden while in office.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not mention the data center ad, polling, or the money in the race.
- Charged language
- “torches”“stunning attack ad”“flip-flop”“far-left controversies”“illegal aliens”
What every side reports
- Talarico released a border ad in which he says he called out Biden for failing Texas on the border.
- Talarico is the Democratic nominee facing Republican Ken Paxton for the Texas Senate seat.
- Talarico was away from the campaign trail with the flu and reappeared Friday.
- Republicans question when Talarico's criticism of Biden began.
Where accounts differ
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Whether Talarico's border message is a genuine break or a reversal
- Centre
- Notes Republicans question the timing; Talarico cites a 2022 speech and has made the argument since July.
- Right
- Calls it a flip-flop, citing his 2019 call to redirect border security money to education.
James Talarico person
Says he puts Texas before party, called out Biden on the border, and wants data centers held accountable; his campaign says he backs stronger border enforcement.
“I'll always put Texas before any political party,” — Newsweek
“James supports stronger border security and immigration enforcement” — Fox News
Ken Paxton person
Newsweek reports Paxton called data centers "complicated" in May, later released a plan backing repeal of tax incentives, and his campaign has attacked Talarico over his absence and funding.
“Paxton followed in August with his own "Texas First Data Center Plan."” — Newsweek
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre1 article
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Talarico Takes on Biden's Border Policies and Data Centers in Texas Ads
Neutral Contextual campaign report placing the two ads within polls, money and data center policy.
Right1 article
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Critical Casts the border ad as a reversal of Talarico's earlier positions using a 2019 interview.
- 12 Oct 22:47 First NewsweekN Talarico Takes on Biden's Border Policies and Data Centers in Texas Ads
- 14 Oct 17:55 +43h 8m Fox NewsR James Talarico torches Biden border policies in stunning attack ad as progressive tries to flip Texas blue
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
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