James Talarico, Democratic candidate for Texas Senate, responded to attacks on his masculinity from Ted Cruz and Ken Paxton by defining real manhood as honesty and service rather than self-enrichment — and argued the two Republicans have disqualified themselves from making claims about it. The comment comes after Cruz publicly mocked Talarico's masculinity; Talarico's framing response has been reported by multiple outlets as part of their ongoing Senate campaign messaging. The implicit accusation — that Paxton and Cruz prioritize self-interest and dishonesty — refers to documented controversies: Paxton's felony indictment (2023), his controversial plea agreement in his office's case, and Republican attacks on Talarico as insufficiently masculine.