James Talarico Accused Ken Paxton of Voter Fraud. His Own Voter Registration Is Raising Questions.

Texas state Representative James Talarico has accused his U.S. Senate opponent, Attorney General Ken Paxton, of voter fraud after a ProPublica-Texas Tribune report revealed Talarico had voted in five elections using his parents' address after purchasing a home for himself nearby. This practice may have violated state voting laws, according to the findings of the news organizations.

This allegation comes weeks after Talarico made similar accusations against Paxton, who had been voting in Texas using an address where his estranged wife, state Senator Angela Paxton, claimed he had not resided for two years. Ken Paxton, a staunch advocate against voter fraud, has been pursuing strict enforcement of election laws, including cases against voters who allegedly used false addresses when casting ballots.

However, Paxton's campaign has consistently denied being a lawful, registered Texas voter, while providing no detailed information about his residency and voting history. Talarico's voting history is harder to piece together since he redacts his address on the Travis County voter rolls under state law for safety reasons. Yet, unredacted records from his campaign show he listed his parents' address as his voter registration in November 2021.

He purchased his home in June 2022 but only changed his voter registration address to the new address in September 2024, as per the newsrooms' review of Travis County records.

Talarico's campaign declined to answer questions about his residency and voting history, while his spokesperson claimed that conservative actors were making credible threats to locate Talarico and his family. In Texas, residents are required to register to vote at their current address, which ensures they are voting for those who truly represent them.

However, the provisions of this law are considered broad and vague, according to Texas ethics attorney Andrew Cates. Courts have previously ruled that determining a voter's residence is challenging, and prosecuting such cases necessitates proof that a voter "knowingly" or "intentionally" broke the law. Cates believes it's doubtful that either Talarico or Paxton committed voter fraud, but he asserts that Paxton should be held to a higher standard due to his position as Texas' top lawyer responsible for enforcing election laws.

Paxton, as the state's top lawyer, has been actively pursuing alleged election violators, including judges who prevented him from unilaterally prosecuting election crimes. He created an election fraud tip line and warned Texans against misrepresenting their residence on election records or establishing a residence for influencing the outcome of an election. The accusations from Talarico and other critics suggest that Paxton views himself above the law.