Advice for Ken Paxton
Laura Hollis urges Paxton to make his opponent’s religious claims a central issue in the Senate campaign.

SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYTownhall is an established opinion-oriented publisher, and this page identifies its columnist. Its opinion source type and overtly partisan framing warrant a lower institutional score than a general-news newsroom.
- Source type — Opinion publisher with an explicitly conservative editorial orientation.
- Author attribution — The column names Laura Hollis as its author.
- Editorial standards — The argument is clearly presented as opinion rather than neutral reporting.
The column provides concrete examples and identifies statements it attributes to Talarico, but relies heavily on the author's assertions and biblical interpretation. It does not present Talarico’s response or competing perspectives.
HOW WE SCORE ↗This is a one-sided argument advising Paxton and criticizing Talarico. It offers no response from Talarico or substantive counterargument to the columnist’s claims.
- Counterarguments presented — No opposing response or counterargument is included.
- Loaded language — The column uses dismissive and accusatory characterizations of Talarico and the left.
- Opinion vs reporting — The piece openly argues for a campaign strategy rather than reporting competing views.
The column strongly favors Paxton and conservatives while portraying Talarico and the left in hostile terms. Its framing and word choices make its right-leaning perspective explicit.
- Language tone — Uses phrases such as “leftists,” “butchered Christianity” and “weaponized compassion.”
- Framing — Argues that Paxton should attack Talarico’s religious and policy positions to gain politically.
- Source selection — Presents the columnist’s case without a response from Talarico or a contrasting perspective.
A Townhall opinion column urges Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton to challenge opponent James Talarico’s religious and policy arguments, following Paxton’s 25-point runoff win over Sen. John Cornyn.
Laura Hollis argues that Paxton should make Talarico’s interpretations of Christianity a central campaign issue. She disputes Talarico’s reported views on posting the Ten Commandments in schools, abortion and other policy questions, and says Paxton should challenge those views rather than avoid religious debate.
Hollis proposes that Paxton acknowledge his own flaws while arguing that Talarico’s religious claims make him untrustworthy on policy. She also points to Spencer Pratt’s Los Angeles mayoral campaign and the British party Restore Britain as examples of opposition to policies described as compassionate.
Community verdict
VOTING CLOSEDNo good or bad look here
This story reports what happened without casting Paxton in a good or bad light, so readers don’t rate it and it doesn’t count toward Paxton’s record.
People in this story
SWIPE →Texas Senate candidate advised to challenge his opponent’s religious and policy arguments
Democratic Senate candidate whose religious and policy views the column criticizes
Talarico's version of this story ↗Texas senator defeated by Paxton in the Republican runoff
Part of a bigger story
8 OUTLETSCoverage identifies Ken Paxton as a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in Texas. Left-leaning outlets place Paxton in a broader account of Trump-backed candidates and the role of endorsements in Republican primaries. Right-leaning outlets focus on advice for Paxton to challenge James Talarico’s religious interpretations and connect them to policy in the Senate campaign.
- ARTICLES
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- OUTLETS
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- AVG CRED
- 47
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