Texas Senate Hopeful Talarico Names Favorite Drag Queen

Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico quickly named Alyssa Edwards as his favorite Texas drag performer when asked at a campaign event, in a video that circulated widely online. Edwards is the stage name of Justin Dwayne Lee Johnson, a drag performer and television personality who has discussed working with children. The exchange has become a talking point in Talarico’s race against Republican Ken Paxton, with conservative critics connecting it to Talarico’s past support for LGBTQ causes and his appearance at a 2021 Pride event that included a young drag performer. Talarico’s campaign sought to redirect criticism by attacking Paxton, while opponents portrayed the answer as evidence that Talarico is out of step with Texas voters. The articles largely present partisan commentary and do not include a substantive response from Talarico addressing the criticism itself.