The Texas Senate race continues to heat up, with both sides taking jabs at each other. On June 18, Democratic candidate James Talarico demanded that his Republican opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, release communications from his office related to a plea deal offered to a Texas man charged with sexually abusing a young boy.
"If there's anything that all Texans can agree on — Democrats and Republicans, progressives and conservatives — it's that no one, not even the attorney general of Texas, should be able to cover up crimes against children," Talarico said.
During a public appearance at the McLennan County Courthouse in Waco, Texas, Talarico called on Paxton's office to release information about the deal offered to Adam Dean Hoffman, a 49-year-old man who, according to The Texas Tribune, spent 30 days in jail after admitting to molesting the victim and surrendering his law license. The deal allegedly allowed Hoffman to avoid registering as a sex offender.
The Texas Tribune, The Texas Newsroom and KWBU obtained trial transcripts and court records showing that the case ended in a mistrial and that the victim refused to testify a second time, leaving prosecutors with the choice of offering Hoffman a deal or forcing the boy to return to court through a subpoena.
Talarico: I was required by law to report any indication there was abuse at home, and I would hope that the top law enforcement official in Texas would be held to the same standard as a middle school teacher. Ken Paxton had the opportunity to protect a child, but instead he… pic.twitter.com/9I5ea3TSCd
— Acyn (@Acyn) June 19, 2026
The outlets reported that Assistant Attorneys General Brenda Cantu and Dorian Cotlar said in a letter sent last month to a state lawmaker that the decision was "made entirely in the best interest of the child involved."
The Democratic candidate noted that after the plea deal was announced, the victim's mother alleged that her son's case had received special treatment because Hoffman's attorney also represented Nate Paul, a real estate developer and Paxton campaign donor who, according to the outlets, played a central role in the attorney general's failed impeachment case.
In that case, Paxton was accused of accepting bribes from Paul and using the power of his office to benefit the developer in exchange for personal favors, including a job for Paxton's mistress and costly home renovations.
In response, Madison Cercy, a spokesperson for the Paxton campaign, said in a statement that Talarico's actions were "disgusting" and accused him of wanting a sexual abuse victim to be forced into the same room as his abuser.
"Every time James Talarico chooses to bring this case up he is intentionally re-traumatizing the child victim for personal gain," Cercy said. "OAG prosecutors have already released information on this, but Talarico cares more about turning a child victim into a political pawn than the truth. The bottom line is that we stand with the child victim."
A recent Texas Pulse poll cited by The Hill found the race between Talarico and Paxton effectively tied, with both candidates receiving 46 percent support. Among independent voters, Talarico held a 14-point lead.
