Key Republican Aide Defects to Democrats
The aide crossed party lines to work on the campaign of Democratic candidate James Talarico.
Kevin Dietsch/Kevin Dietsch, Getty Images
Republican Sen. John Cornyn is facing yet another humiliation after being booted from the race for his own Senate seat.
Cornyn’s deputy legislative director, Jacob Smith, has crossed party lines to help Democrat James Talarico win the very Senate seat his old boss is bidding farewell to in Texas, NOTUS first reported.
Democratic candidate for US Senate James Talarico speaks during a campaign rally as part of his "New American Dream Tour" in Pasadena, Texas, on August 9, 2026.
RONALDO SCHEMIDT/Ronaldo Schemidt, Getty Images
“I’ve worked for Republicans like Senator Cornyn my entire career, but this year I’m proud to be joining James Talarico’s campaign,” Smith wrote in a statement.
“Instead of playing partisan politics, Talarico speaks to the needs of everyday people who day in and day out work too hard for too little.”
Smith will serve as deputy policy director for the Democratic senatorial campaign.
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His shocking move comes after Cornyn lost to Ken Paxton in the Republican primary for his own Senate seat by nearly 28 points. Despite the humiliation of losing his own party’s nomination, Cornyn says he’ll vote for Paxton.
Paxton has admitted that his campaign is turning into a fundraising disaster.
Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspap/Melissa Phillip, Getty Images
“I’ve always supported the Republican ticket, and I intend to do so again in this general election,” he said.
The tight midterm race has drawn national attention as Democrats vie for a seat that could help determine control of the Senate.
Paxton has also been seen as politically vulnerable because of scandals and legal controversies that have followed him for more than a decade. His personal life has been recently under scrutiny as his wife, Angela Paxton, filed for divorce last year, citing “biblical grounds” and “recent discoveries.”
As attorney general, he was indicted on fraud charges for misleading investors, but charges were ultimately dropped when Paxton agreed to perform 100 hours of community service, among other conditions.
During the primary, Paxton was viewed as more closely aligned with Trump than Cornyn, and Cornyn was seen as more of an old-school establishment figure.
Smith described Paxton as, “the most corrupt, self-dealing politician in Texas who would sell their futures to the highest contributor just to hold onto power.”
A Fox News poll from last month showed Talarico with a slight edge over Paxton, 51%-48%.
It’s been nearly four decades since a Democrat has won a Senate race in Texas.
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