Thomas J. Henry, the San Antonio personal injury attorney who once poured more than $600,000 into a super PAC backing Ken Paxton, has now thrown his support behind Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico. Henry said the endorsement came after meeting with Talarico in person for an extended conversation about issues facing Texas and the country.
Henry said he came away from that sit-down convinced that Talarico's approach to problem-solving was balanced, straightforward and honest, according to Newsweek. He and Talarico reportedly discussed border security and economic policymaking for Texas and the nation, a shift from the attorney's earlier allegiance to Paxton during the Republican primary season, when Henry supported Paxton over incumbent Sen. John Cornyn. As MySA reported, Henry's office announced the backing in a social post on Wednesday.
Henry explained his earlier support for Paxton partly as a reaction to Cornyn's tenure, saying “Cornyn had been in office way too long” and that politicians should not serve endless Senate terms. He also said he recognized Paxton would not debate Cornyn and believed that meeting Talarico in person would matter once he learned more about Paxton's record. “I supported Paxton in the race against Cornyn,” Henry said, according to the same Newsweek report.
A Major Donor's Money Trail
The reversal is notable given the scale of Henry's prior financial commitment. Thomas J. Henry Law made two donations totaling $646,107 to the pro-Paxton Lone Star Liberty PAC, per FEC filings reviewed by Newsweek. That PAC has become one of the race's biggest spenders, having raised $28 million by the end of September, nearly closing the gap with the Talarico-aligned Lone Star Rising PAC, which has raised more than $31 million, according to the Houston Chronicle. A bipartisan group, Moment of Truth PAC, has collected almost $2 million.
Elon Musk contributed $10 million to the Paxton-aligned PAC, the Chronicle's analysis found, and Musk's America PAC has separately spent more than $7 million boosting Paxton while Musk sent $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund. Henry's post on the matter reportedly drew more than 15,000 likes along with hundreds of comments and reshares, per MySA.
Dark-Money Dispute Adds to the Noise
The money fight has spilled into allegations of concealment. Talarico's campaign has claimed that Paxton, through treasurer John Plishka, established and controls Preserve Texas Inc., which it describes as a dark-money entity designed to influence the election while hiding its donors, according to CBS News. Lone Star Liberty spokesperson Greg Keller responded that the PAC fully follows all applicable regulations and laws. The same PAC launched a $15 million advertising blitz across 18 Texas markets, part of a statewide spending surge that AdImpact projected would reach a record $446 million in total ad spending this cycle.
A Race Still Too Close to Call
Henry isn't the only Republican-aligned figure crossing the aisle. Several other current and former Republican officials and party figures, including Neil Bush, Adam Kinzinger and Wayne Thorburn, have also endorsed Talarico's campaign against Paxton, Newsweek reported. The shift comes amid a contest widely viewed as a toss-up, fueled by eight-figure super PAC spending on both sides.
Recent polling underscores just how tight things remain. A Fox News poll conducted October 15-19 found Paxton and Talarico tied at 49 percent among 1,398 likely voters, while the RealClearPolitics average of surveys from October 5-19 showed Talarico ahead by 1.9 points, 48.2 percent to 46.3 percent. A Cook Political Report poll from October 9-13 had Talarico up 49-44, and a CBS News/YouGov poll conducted October 8-16 showed him leading 51-49. The University of Houston Hobby School of Public Affairs poll, fielded October 10-14, found Talarico ahead 48-46.
On the trail, both candidates have been honing in on economic messages while campaigning in the Fort Worth area, according to NBC News. Texas voters will decide the Senate race along with dozens of other contests this cycle. Early voting runs through Friday, October 30, 2026, with Election Day set for Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
