Foreign Policy
Ken Paxton (R)
Paxton's campaign promises an 'America First foreign policy that promotes peace through strength, prioritizes our nation's interests first and foremost.' He has criticized Cornyn's votes on Ukraine aid but has not staked out specifics on the proposed Russia-Ukraine peace framework that would require Kyiv to cede territory. His campaign explicitly opposes 'sending billions to foreign countries and protecting the borders of other nations.' He has not publicly addressed Trump's consideration of USMCA withdrawal. Trump's endorsement specifically calls out Paxton's commitment to 'Support our Incredible Military/Veterans.'
James Talarico (D)
Talarico wants to 'restore America's standing as a global leader and build strong trade agreements with our allies.' He has framed Texas as the top exporting state and 'hit the hardest by Trump's unlawful tariffs.' He supports strong AI-chip export controls to keep advanced technology out of adversaries' hands. He opposes VA privatization and has held veterans' roundtables in El Paso to focus on mental health, substance abuse, and PTSD alternative therapies. His foreign-policy framing emphasizes diplomacy and alliance-restoration over unilateralism.
Sources
- Ken Paxton for U.S. Senate, official campaign issues page, accessed May 2026. (full list)
- Talarico for Texas, official campaign issues pages (taxes, education, healthcare, immigration, social media/AI, freedom-family-faith, public-safety-justice, corruption-democracy, labor-business), accessed May 2026. (full list)
- Gabby Birenbaum, 'On the issues: A Q&A with Ken Paxton and John Cornyn,' Texas Tribune, April 20, 2026. (full list)
- Truth Social statement endorsing Paxton over Cornyn, May 19, 2026 (covered by CNBC, NBC News, Breitbart). (full list)
- El Paso Matters, 'At El Paso ICE facility, James Talarico argues for pro-immigrant, pro-security approach,' Feb. 21, 2026. (full list)