El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego is backing James Talarico in the U.S. Senate race.
Samaniego made the endorsement public in a July 15 social media post that included photos of the pair, including one taken during Talarico’s February visit to an El Paso ICE detention center.
“I am proud to endorse James Talarico for U.S. Senate. He has the ethics to do what is right for every Texan,” Samaniego wrote.
Talarico is facing Republican U.S. Senate candidate and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Nov. 3 General Election to replace U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. Cornyn lost his reelection bid to Paxton in the Republican Primary Election.
The endorsement comes a few days after Talarico held a community town hall in El Paso on Sunday, July 12.
“As El Paso County Judge, I have seen Ken Paxton neglect our community for too long. Texas needs a leader who delivers results for working families. James has deep roots here from visiting his grandparents in El Paso, and he has pledged to open a permanent, regional Senate office here,” Samaniego continued in the post.
El Paso Congresswoman Veronica Escobar has also backed Talarico and called him an “extraordinary candidate” as she introduced him at the July 12 event in El Paso.
Talarico has received other major endorsements, including from Kamala Harris, while President Barack Obama called the Democratic candidate a “really talented young man” while on a podcast in October 2025.
Dan Cogdell, the defense attorney who represented Paxton during his 2023 impeachment trial also announced he was supporting Talarico.
Ken Paxton Endorsements
Meanwhile, Paxton has received endorsements from several prominent Republicans, including President Donald Trump, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and former primary opponent U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt.
Natassia Paloma may be reached at npaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on X, natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego endorses James Talarico
Reporting by Natassia Paloma, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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By Natassia Paloma, El Paso Times | USA TODAY Network
