A MAGA Senate candidate’s old lawyer is backing his Democrat rival.
Houston-based defense lawyer Dan Cogdell represented Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton during his 2023 impeachment, as well as in a securities fraud case that dragged on from 2015 to 2025.
But now Cogdell has told NOTUS that he will not be backing his former client and has instead put his endorsement behind Texas State Representative James Talarico, 37, who is running a campaign that’s heavy on Christianity and progressive values.
He said he thought the bullish 63-year-old Paxton, often regarded as a hard-headed MAGA loyalist, “has lost sight of his core mission, which is to represent the people of Texas.”
“And unlike Ken, I believe to my core that James Talarico believes in unity over division and that he knows how to assemble not only Democrats, but Independents and Republicans, and we need that right now,” Cogdell added.
He has now given $1,000 to Talarico’s campaign, despite last year funneling $6,500 to Paxton’s campaign.
He also previously called Trump the “greatest threat to Democracy our country’s ever seen.”
Paxton’s ascension to the GOP nomination comes after he defeated longtime senator John Cornyn. President Trump chose to back Paxton at the 11th hour, after the first round of the primary went into a runoff.
Ultimately, Trump’s decision came down to loyalty.
“Ken is a true MAGA Warrior who has ALWAYS delivered for Texas, and will continue to do so in the United States Senate,” Trump said.
“John Cornyn is a good man, and I worked well with him, but he was not supportive of me when times were tough,” Trump added. “John was very late in backing me in what turned out to be a Historic Run for the Republican Nomination, and then, the presidency, itself, both of which were Landslide Victories and, more importantly, gave us the Country that we have today.”
Following Cornyn’s defeat, Talarico thanked him for his service to the state of Texas and said his door is open to any of his supporters who want to take the fight to Paxton.
“If you voted for John Cornyn, you have a place in this campaign,” Talarico said. “If you’re a Republican tired of the corruption you’re seeing in government, you have a place in this campaign. Even if you’re Ken Paxton’s impeachment lawyer, you have a place in this campaign.”
The Daily Beast has contacted the Texas Attorney General’s Office for comment.
