Jonathan Martin: Crooked Ken v. Tofu Talarico

Jonathan Martin: Crooked Ken v. Tofu Talarico

From Impolitic with John Heilemann by Audacy | Puck

May 29, 2026 · 1h 21m

About this episode

John Heilemann discusses the Texas Senate race with Jonathan Martin, focusing on the dynamics between Ken Paxton and James Talarico.

John welcomes back Politico’s Jonathan Martin to discuss the Texas Senate race: how scandal-soaked Attorney General Ken Paxton thrashed incumbent Senator John Cornyn in the GOP primary run-off; Democratic nominee James Talarico’s “race against time” to define himself before Paxton's effort to cast him as a weak, weird, ultra-woke vegan sinks in with voters; and whether Democrats are once again chasing fool’s gold in Texas or the race is a genuine toss-up. JMart also unpacks the latest episode of his “On The Road” YouTube series, featuring Pennsylvania governor and likely 2028 presidential candidate Josh Shapiro. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: John Heilemann

Guest: Jonathan Martin

Topics covered

  • Texas Senate race
  • GOP primary
  • Democratic nominee
  • political strategy
  • 2028 presidential candidate
  • YouTube series

Keywords

  • Texas Senate race
  • Ken Paxton
  • James Talarico
  • GOP primary
  • politics
  • 2028 presidential election
  • YouTube series

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Politico, Audacy, Puck

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