Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has joined the long line of Republicans picking fights with drag queens, this time targeting Democrat James Talarico over a video naming Alyssa Edwards as his favorite. Apparently, knowing the name of a drag performer now qualifies as campaign material in Texas.

Paxton, who is battling Talarico in the Senate contest, used the clip to declare that his Democratic opponent is “too weird and too radical for Texas.” His argument rested on how quickly Talarico answered the question about his favorite drag queen.

“What normal person can name their favorite drag queen this quickly?” Paxton asked on X. That question became the foundation for Paxton’s latest attempt to portray Talarico and his support for the LGBTQ+ community as strange.

Paxton followed with another accusation: “When James Talarico isn’t advocating for children to dress in drag, he’s watching drag performances and saying that Texas produces the best drag queens.”

Edwards noticed the uproar and responded directly. Rather than joining Paxton’s political theatrics, she urged the attorney general to focus on governing and what he plans to deliver for the people of Texas.

“As a Texan and a very proud one at that, I would hope that your focus would remain on policy, leadership and what you intend to provide for the future of ALL Texans,” Edwards wrote in a letter posted to X.

Her response also highlighted her accomplishments and contributions to the Texas community. Edwards described work that began as a community recreation program at a YMCA and developed into a place that encouraged generations of young people.

“What began as a community recreation program at a YMCA grew into a place where generations of young people have been encouraged to discover their creativity, ignite their passion, develop discipline, and, perhaps most importantly, believe in themselves,” Edwards wrote.

The dispute is not Paxton’s first attempt to attack Talarico by presenting his support for the LGBTQ+ community as strange or insufficiently “manly.” Other Republicans have also tried to disparage Talarico over his alleged lack of manliness.

Earlier this month, Paxton released an ad generated with AI that depicted Talarico scribbling with crayon in a Bible. The ad also focused on Talarico expressing his views about feminism and gender identity.

Paxton’s barrage of accusations arrives as the formerly impeached candidate has his own record to confront. In 2024, Paxton settled his felony security fraud charge to avoid a criminal trial.

Other Republicans have similarly tried to reduce Talarico to a collection of culture war labels. They have called him “weird” and previously attempted to label him a vegan as a way to depict him as less manly.

Dragging performers into political attacks is hardly unfamiliar territory for the GOP. Republicans have previously invoked drag queens while seeking to pull funding from public broadcast and have portrayed drag queen story hour as something perverse.

In this case, Paxton turned Talarico’s quick answer about a favorite performer into another broadside against the Democrat’s values. Edwards answered by directing attention toward policy, leadership, her Texas roots, and the young people encouraged through her community work.

Her letter offered a sharper judgment about the spectacle than Paxton’s recycled culture war panic managed to produce. “the way we choose to speak about others often says far more about our own character than it ever will about theirs.”

That observation left Paxton with the very character test he tried to impose on Talarico. His attack centered on a drag queen preference, while Edwards responded by discussing Texas, community contributions, creativity, discipline, leadership, and the future of all Texans.