Combines the Family Proclamation, religious liberty, civility, the Utah Compact's pro-immigrant compassion, the Utah Compromise pairing religious liberty with LGBTQ protections, and fiscal conservatism.37 The 5-5 tie is the finding: Paxton wins cultural conservatism but fails on immigration and civility; Talarico wins compassion and civility but fails on marijuana, abortion, and LGBTQ expansion beyond the Compromise.
Issue
Paxton
Talarico
Pro-family / Family Proclamation
Helps
—
Paxton: Helps · Talarico: —
The 1995 Family Proclamation centers heterosexual marriage and family formation; Paxton's record aligns. Talarico backs LGBTQ family equality, which the Church treats as compatible only inside the Utah Compromise (captured separately).
Religious liberty
Helps
Helps
Paxton: Helps · Talarico: Helps
Religious liberty is a top LDS priority, rooted in Joseph Smith's persecution legacy; Paxton's office defends religious-exercise claims, and Talarico — a seminary-educated Christian — explicitly defends religious liberty as part of the Utah Compromise framework.
Civility / political-norm respect
Hurts
Helps
Paxton: Hurts · Talarico: Helps
The modern Church explicitly values civility and warned against partisan extremism; Paxton's combative style and norm-breaking record cut against that, while Talarico's civil-discourse posture and anti-corruption institutionalism align.
Pro-immigrant compassion (Utah Compact)
Hurts
Helps
Paxton: Hurts · Talarico: Helps
Utah Compromise (religious liberty + LGBTQ)
—
Helps
Paxton: — · Talarico: Helps
Fiscal conservatism
Helps
—
Paxton: Helps · Talarico: —
The Church's institutional posture leans fiscally conservative; Paxton aligns. Talarico's spending priorities cut against this, but the LDS framework treats fiscal questions as secondary to family and immigration questions.
Anti-pornography
Helps
—
Paxton: Helps · Talarico: —
The Church has been notably outspoken against pornography as a public-health issue; Paxton's age-verification litigation aligns. Talarico has not made anti-pornography a Senate plank and is not a factor here.
Anti-marijuana / Word of Wisdom
Helps
Hurts
Paxton: Helps · Talarico: Hurts
The Word of Wisdom prohibits alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana use, and the Church has lobbied against recreational legalization; Paxton aligns, while Talarico backs full marijuana legalization2.
Alcohol policy
—
Hurts
Paxton: — · Talarico: Hurts
The Church's posture on alcohol is restrictive; Talarico's permissive posture cuts against it. Paxton aligns and is not a factor against the Church here.
Abortion
—
Hurts
Paxton: — · Talarico: Hurts
The Church opposes elective abortion (with narrow exceptions); Talarico backs abortion access2. Paxton aligns with the Church and is not a factor against him on this plank.
LGBTQ expansion beyond the Compromise
—
Hurts
Paxton: — · Talarico: Hurts
The Church accepts the Utah Compromise but resists going beyond it (e.g., trans-care expansion, broader sexual-orientation accommodation in religious institutions); Talarico's full LGBTQ-rights expansion exceeds the Compromise model.
Anti-corruption / institutional integrity
Hurts
Helps
Paxton: Hurts · Talarico: Helps
The Church's institutional posture treats public corruption and abuse of office as character disqualifications; Paxton's impeachment and securities-fraud record cut against that, while Talarico's anti-corruption package aligns.
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)
- The Utah Compact (2010), endorsed by LDS Church and broader Utah civic leadership; LDS First Presidency political-neutrality statements. (full list)