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I was flabbergasted.
I’ll admit, I hadn’t been following that closely. Apparently, it wasn’t a surprise to those who had been paying attention the last few weeks.
The officials called it long before the night was over.
Ken Paxton won the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Texas.
As corruption goes, Paxton is a legendary.
Indicted on three felony charges of investment fraud. Reported by his own staff for bribery. Impeached by his own Republican Party for corruption.
Those are just a few of his transgressions.
He hasn’t just displayed low character, but no character.
Now he goes head to head against his ideological opposite, James Talarico.
Talarico is 37 years old, a state legislator, and a seminarian whose is already an accomplished communicator.
You may call me naive.
“Jemar, how could you be surprised? This is the same Republican Party that elected a man indicted on 34 felony counts and whose name appears in the Epstein files more than almost any other.”
Trust me, I know that however low the bar is, it can still get lower.
I’ve studied U.S. history. Written about the worst forms of racism and oppression this country has to offer.
Humans behaving badly is nothing new. Corrupt politicians are regrettably common.
I was not flabbergasted in a historical sense or a political sense.
I was shocked in a moral sense.
Confounded that even with all voters know of Paxton’s malfeasance, they still elected him.
And it wasn’t even close. His opponent, John Cornyn had spent over 20 years in the Senate, but lost in a landslide.
Cornyn had run afoul of Trump for criticizing the insurrection and saying that perhaps Trump didn’t have the votes to win in 2024.
Trump never forgot. And as punishment for disloyalty, he endorsed Ken Paxton.
Now he’s the nominee.
What does that say about the modern GOP? What does it say about the state of our politics?
The election results make it clear.
Republican voters in Texas didn’t overlook Paxton’s character. They endorsed it.
In This Episode of The Justice Briefing
Why Ken Paxton’s primary victory shocked even seasoned observers of American politics
The corruption allegations, impeachment, and legal controversies surrounding Paxton
How loyalty to Donald Trump became more important than character or experience
Why Paxton’s victory signals a deeper shift within the modern Republican Party
The contrast between Paxton’s and James Talarico’s competing visions of Christianity
How white Christian nationalism shapes contemporary political debates
Why Black Christian political traditions are often overlooked as authentic expressions of faith
What the Texas Senate race reveals about power, religion, and democracy in America
What's more important in a political leader: integrity, competence, or shared values?
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