One former GOP senator joins Texas Senate race

One former Republican state senator in Texas switched sides this week to support a Democrat for the U.S. Senate.

Kel Seliger added his name to a list of more than two dozen former GOP officials who have endorsed Democratic candidate James Talarico. He made the decision in favor of Talarico rather than the Republican candidate, Attorney General Ken Paxton. Seliger said he had served with both men. He described Talarico as honest, frank, and direct. He noted that while he disagrees with many Democratic Party beliefs, he believes Talarico will act in the best interest of Texas. Seliger specifically stated he did not think Talarico would prioritize the interests of Elon Musk.

This endorsement is part of a wider trend in the current midterm cycle. Candidates in Alaska, Kansas, and Texas have promoted support from the opposing party in recent weeks. In Alaska, Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski endorsed Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins on Tuesday. In Kansas, former Republican governors Bill Graves and Mike Hayden backed Democratic Senate candidate Adam Hamilton in September and October.

Republican officials say they expect similar crossover voting for their own candidates. Natalie Baldassarre, the national press secretary for the Republican National Committee, pointed to races in Michigan and Texas. She cited the campaign coalition Democrats for Mike Rogers as an example of this dynamic. Baldassarre said she sees cross-party voting in races like Mike Rogers versus Abdul El-Sayed and Ken Paxton versus James Talarico.

Experts suggest these endorsements may not change the final outcome. Joshua Blank, the research director for the Texas Politics Project, said cross-party voting tends to affect only a small share of the electorate. He described the behavior as idiosyncratic rather than a large-scale shift. Blank noted that if elections are close, this small share could matter.

Recent polling shows that some of these midterm races have become increasingly tight. In some cases, the candidates are statistically tied. The endorsements and coalition efforts are taking place in the final days of the election season as voters head to the polls in November.