Former Paxton Lawyer Supports Talarico in Texas Senate Bid

WHO:

Newsweek - Dan Cogdell, a veteran Houston attorney, endorsed Democrat James Talarico in the Texas U.S. Senate race.

AP News - Dan Cogdell, a Houston attorney, endorsed Democrat James Talarico in the Texas U.S. Senate race.

Newsweek - Dan Cogdell, a veteran Houston attorney, endorsed Democrat James Talarico in the Texas U.S. Senate race.

Alternet - Ken Paxton, Texas Attorney General, was represented by Cogdell during his impeachment trial and felony securities fraud case.

WHAT:

Alternet - Dan Cogdell stated, “unity in politics is needed today more than at any point in my lifetime.”

AP News - Talarico is hoping to be the first Democrat to win a statewide race in Texas in over 30 years.

AP News - Polling has indicated a close race between Talarico and Paxton, with Talarico having a three-point lead in some surveys.

Alternet - Cogdell stated, “But in my view, respectfully, I think Ken has lost sight of his core mission, which is to represent the people of Texas.”

AP News - Talarico stated, “If you’re a Republican tired of the corruption you’re seeing in government, you have a place in this campaign.”

Alternet - Talarico stated, “If you voted for John Cornyn, you have a place in this campaign,” emphasizing his inclusive coalition-building approach.

Alternet - Polling indicates Talarico has a narrow lead over Paxton, a rare occurrence in Texas statewide races.

Alternet - Dan Cogdell stated, “I defended Ken Paxton for years in the impeachment trial and in state criminal cases,” during his podcast interview.

AP News - Cogdell expressed that he believes Talarico can achieve unity in politics, stating, “unlike Ken, I believe to my core, James, that you believe in unity over division.”

AP News - Talarico emphasized that his campaign is building a coalition that welcomes “Republicans, Democrats and Independents alike.”

AP News - Dan Cogdell stated, “I worked my ass off for the man for nine years... My obligation to Ken ended at the courthouse steps and my obligation as a citizen is to do what I think is the right thing.”

AP News - Cogdell emphasized that Texas needs improvement in education and health care, stating, “to simply bootlick or rubber stamp Trump, that’s not what we need in D.C. right now.”

Newsweek - Cogdell stated that he believes Ken Paxton has "lost sight" of his core mission to represent the people of Texas.

Alternet - Talarico aims to be the first Democrat to win a statewide race in Texas in over 30 years.

Alternet - The Paxton campaign spent about $130 million in a brutal campaign against U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, a 24-year incumbent, in a primary runoff last month.

Alternet - Polling indicates a close race between Paxton and Talarico, with surveys showing Talarico with a narrow lead.

WHERE:

Newsweek - The endorsement took place in Texas, specifically during a podcast interview.

WHEN:

Alternet - Cogdell announced his support for Talarico on a Monday.

Alternet - The charges against Paxton in his felony securities fraud case were dropped in 2024.

Alternet - Paxton's impeachment trial concluded in 2023 with an acquittal by the Texas Senate.

WHY:

AP News - Cogdell expressed that Texas needs improvement in education and health care, stating, “and to simply bootlick or rubber stamp Trump, that’s not what we need in D.C. right now.”

AP News - Cogdell mentioned that Texas needs improvement in education and health care, stating, “and to simply bootlick or rubber stamp Trump, that’s not what we need in D.C. right now.”

AP News - Cogdell expressed that he believes Talarico can achieve unity in politics, contrasting with Paxton's approach of appeasing Trump.

Alternet - Cogdell believes that unity in politics is needed and that Talarico can achieve it by assembling Democrats, independents, and Republicans.

HOW:

Alternet - Cogdell has donated $6,500 to Paxton's Senate campaign nearly a year ago and $1,000 to Talarico's campaign in March after Talarico won the Democratic primary.

Alternet - Cogdell has described himself as a registered Democrat but considers himself a moderate who has contributed more to Republican candidates than Democrats over the years.

Alternet - Cogdell has donated $1,000 to Talarico's campaign in March after Talarico won the Democratic primary.

Alternet - Cogdell has described himself as a registered Democrat but considers himself a moderate who has contributed more to Republican candidates than Democrats over the years.

Alternet - Cogdell has donated to both Paxton and Talarico's campaigns, giving $6,500 to Paxton's Senate campaign nearly a year ago and $1,000 to Talarico's campaign in March after Talarico won the Democratic primary.

(UPDATED June 9, 2026 21:03 UTC)

Dan Cogdell emphasized the urgent need for unity in politics, stating that it is more crucial today than at any point in his lifetime. Meanwhile, Talarico is aiming to become the first Democrat to win a statewide race in Texas in over 30 years, and recent polling shows a tight contest with him holding a slim three-point lead over Paxton. Interestingly, Cogdell has previously donated $6,500 to Paxton's Senate campaign nearly a year ago, but he also contributed $1,000 to Talarico's campaign in March after Talarico secured the Democratic primary.

(UPDATED June 9, 2026 19:41 UTC)

Dan Cogdell, a veteran attorney from Houston, has endorsed Democrat James Talarico in the Texas U.S. Senate race, expressing concerns about Republican Ken Paxton's ability to represent the people of Texas. Talarico welcomed support from disillusioned Republicans, stating that there is a place for them in his campaign, while Cogdell emphasized the need for improvements in education and health care rather than simply supporting Trump. Although Cogdell identifies as a registered Democrat, he describes himself as a moderate who has historically contributed more to Republican candidates than Democrats.

(UPDATED June 9, 2026 17:41 UTC)

Dan Cogdell, a Houston attorney, has endorsed Democrat James Talarico in the Texas U.S. Senate race, highlighting the need for improvement in education and health care. Talarico, who has a narrow lead over Paxton in recent polling, emphasized his inclusive approach by stating, “If you voted for John Cornyn, you have a place in this campaign.” Cogdell, who donated $1,000 to Talarico's campaign after his primary win, criticized the current political climate, saying, “to simply bootlick or rubber stamp Trump, that’s not what we need in D.C. right now.”

(UPDATED June 9, 2026 11:55 UTC)

Dan Cogdell, who defended Ken Paxton during his impeachment trial, shared his thoughts in a recent podcast interview, expressing a belief that James Talarico can foster political unity, stating, “unlike Ken, I believe to my core, James, that you believe in unity over division.” Talarico, in turn, highlighted his campaign's commitment to building a coalition that includes Republicans, Democrats, and Independents, while Cogdell pointed out the pressing need for improvements in education and health care, criticizing the idea of simply supporting Trump in Washington. Although Cogdell identifies as a registered Democrat, he sees himself as a moderate and has historically contributed more to Republican candidates than to Democrats.

(UPDATED June 9, 2026 01:35 UTC)

Dan Cogdell, a former aide, expressed his commitment to doing what he believes is right, stating, “I worked my ass off for the man for nine years... My obligation to Ken ended at the courthouse steps and my obligation as a citizen is to do what I think is the right thing.” He emphasized the need for improvement in Texas education and health care, criticizing the idea of simply supporting Trump, saying, “to simply bootlick or rubber stamp Trump, that’s not what we need in D.C. right now.” Cogdell believes that Talarico can bring unity to politics, which he sees as a contrast to Paxton's approach of appeasing Trump.

(UPDATED June 8, 2026 21:31 UTC)

Dan Cogdell, a veteran attorney from Houston, has endorsed Democrat James Talarico in the Texas U.S. Senate race, stating that he believes Ken Paxton has "lost sight" of his core mission to represent the people of Texas. Talarico is aiming to become the first Democrat to win a statewide race in Texas in over 30 years, and recent polling shows him with a narrow lead over Paxton, who recently concluded a costly primary runoff against U.S. Senator John Cornyn. Cogdell, who has previously represented Paxton during his impeachment trial and felony securities fraud case, emphasizes the need for unity in politics and believes Talarico can bring together Democrats, independents, and Republicans.