Former Republican Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ), who many conservatives consider to be a Republican In Name Only (RINO), recently stated that he would rather cast a vote for state Rep. James Talarico (D-TX) for senator in the Lone Star State than for Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, who effectively primaried incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, also a Republican, in the GOP primary race.
Flake published an opinion piece in The Washington Post called, “Why Maine Democrats Should Back Susan Collins.” In the article, the former senator makes the case that both parties “are stronger when they hold themselves to a standard,” which is to say he believes that Democratic voters should avoid casting their ballots in favor of Democratic Party candidate Graham Platner, who has found himself embroiled in numerous scandals.
The Arizona Republican opted to end his career in the Senate in 2017 while slamming President Donald Trump. Writer Matt Berg had a conversation with Flake in which he asked him about the Maine race in order to get a better understanding of his point of view. When answering the question, Flake brought up the Senate race in Texas, expressing his disappointment that President Donald Trump backed Paxton, who is no stranger to controversy himself.
According to Berg’s article, Flake said that Republicans in Texas made a huge mistake by choosing Paxton over the incumbent Cornyn. Berg then asked the former senator if his comment meant he would back Talarico for the seat. “It’s reasonable to say that if I were in Texas, I would vote for Talarico,” Flake responded. He then said that his comments aren’t a full endorsement.
“Talarico is much more liberal than I am on economic and social issues,” Flake explained. “But how much damage can one senator do, particularly if they’re in the minority?” Berg then stated that the kind of support Flake is offering Talarico is significant. He noted that Flake has crossed party lines in the past, serving as the U.S. ambassador to Turkey while former President Joe Biden was in office.
Flake also endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2024 bid for the presidency after Biden was forced to resign following a poor debate performance against Trump that left many wondering if his mental acuity was compromised. Not long after the debate, Biden bowed to pressure from Democratic Party leadership and stopped his reelection campaign.
Many liberal-leaning Republicans and Democrats say that Flake’s openness to voting for Talarico is a sign that Paxton has become toxic to RINOs in a close race that might give Democrats an opportunity to claim a majority in the Senate in the 2026 midterm elections. In any case, Flake urged the GOP in Texas to stand firm on integrity instead of sticking with the party and its platform.
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“I hope that Republicans who agree with this piece — and most Republicans do, maybe for partisan reasons — will do a little self-reflection when it comes to the Texas seat, and maybe do differently there,” Flake said during the conversation. Both races, in his opinion, feature candidates of “questionable integrity and moral turpitude.”
Later, Flake takes an opportunity to slam Trump, albeit in a discreet manner, going on to say that he believes that the country electing individuals of character would help fix the damage done to the American way of life. “We’re just doing away with norms and institutions that we’ve revered forever,” Flake explained. “It’s extremely dangerous for this country to have somebody who loses an election or refuses to follow the will of the voters — and that goes to character.”