Vicious blame game erupts over humiliating Republican defeat in Texas

A blame game erupted among Republicans after Texas delivered devastating election losses, including a historic Senate upset. Ken Paxton was left humiliated Tuesday night when Democrat James Talarico became the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Texas in nearly 40 years, defeating Paxton by 12 points. GOP insiders criticized the campaign as among the worst they’ve seen, with some arguing that President Trump’s influence didn’t prevent wider losses. The article says Paxton’s scandal-plagued record and allied messaging—such as referring to Talarico as “Talafreako”—backfired. It also details how a GOP fundraiser, Caroline Wren, amplified claims that Talarico was at an Ohio mental health facility after she shared purported screenshots of a private jet’s travel. The text ends as it describes Wren being pressed after the defeat.