Democratic U.S. Senate and House candidates in Texas and Iowa are highlighting endorsements from self-described Republicans in the final days before the midterm elections, but voting and campaign finance records obtained by Breitbart News reveal that several of those supporters have previously participated in Democratic primaries, donated to Democratic candidates, or publicly endorsed Democrats in earlier elections.
Texas Democrat James Talarico, who is running against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton for the U.S. Senate, recently launched a “Republicans Pass on Paxton” campaign featuring five former Republican elected officials endorsing his candidacy.
The advertisement opens with the men identifying themselves as Republicans and declaring that they are “passing on Paxton.”
“I truly believe that he is the most corrupt politician Texas has ever seen,” former Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley said.
“Ken Paxton is just far too corrupt for Texas,” former Republican Rep. Alan Steelman said.
Former Ennis Mayor Russell Thomas said, “You know where Ken Paxton has been. Ken Paxton has been in court. He’s been impeached by his own party.”
“I’m ashamed that Ken Paxton is even on the ballot,” Whitley added.
The former officials also expressed their support for Talarico, with former Texas State Rep. Bennett Ratliff declaring, “James Talarico is by far, without a doubt, the best person in the race for the U.S. Senate.”
Former Texas State Rep. Todd Smith described Talarico as “extremely genuine” and “a person of very high moral character.”
“James hears us. He sees us. He will be our eyes and ears in Washington. He will be our voice,” Steelman said.
“We don’t always agree, but he’s willing to have an open dialog and hear my side,” Ratliff said.
“The idea that half of the American people are wrong all the time is just false,” Smith said. “And the first thing we need to have is a representative that understands that fundamental fact, and I have no doubt that James Talarico is in that category.”
“I’m a lifelong Republican, and I know it’s hard to go in and vote for a Democrat,” Whitley said.
“We must remember that how we vote says more about us than it does about the candidate on the ballot,” Steelman added.
“We need to support the best person, not look at their party label, not look at what Jersey they’re wearing, but who is going to represent us,” Ratliff said.
Whitley concluded by encouraging voters to support Talarico, while Smith declared, “We need politicians that are going to bring us together, and that is James Talarico, and it certainly is not Ken Paxton.”
However, voting records obtained by Breitbart News show that some of the Republicans featured in Talarico’s advertisement have previously participated in Democratic primaries.
Former Republican Rep. Alan Steelman participated in Democratic primaries in both 2024 and 2026, while former State Rep. Todd Smith has voted Democrat in two of the last four elections.
On Friday, Talarico’s campaign released another endorsement video featuring former Republican State Rep. Jason Villalba, who previously supported Democrat Colin Allred’s unsuccessful 2024 Senate campaign against Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.
“I’m Jason Villalba. I’m a classic Ronald Reagan Republican, and I’m supporting James Talarico,” Villalba said.
“I got a chance to serve with some great men in the legislature. Ken Paxton was not one of them,” he continued.
“I think it’s important that we can trust our senator. We cannot have somebody in Washington that does not have the requisite character to represent Texans, and that is why I’m supporting James Talarico.”
“I’m not sure about you, but at our house, we don’t talk a lot about culture war issues because we’re more concerned about paying the bills,” he said. “Those kinds of arguments are meant to incite you to do certain things and vote certain ways. They’re not really based on facts.”
“Let’s make our decisions this time based on the issues that really matter. Let’s lower those grocery prices. Let’s lower that price of gas. Let’s get rid of these tariffs. Let’s get out of these wars,” he continued. “I know that’s what James talks about on the trail, and that certainly isn’t what Ken is talking about.”
In an October 2024 article titled “‘Republicans for Allred’ Coalition Stacked With Former GOP Losers,” Texas Scorecard reported that Villalba, Ratliff, and Smith were among the Republicans backing Democrat Colin Allred’s Senate campaign.
The coalition was led by former Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger, with Villalba serving as co-chair. Villalba lost his 2018 Republican primary and a 2019 Dallas mayoral bid, while Smith lost a state Senate race and Ratliff lost Republican primaries in 2014 and 2016. Kinzinger and other coalition members also endorsed Kamala Harris over Donald Trump in 2024.
Talarico’s campaign also previously highlighted support from three Texas women who identified themselves as Republicans, despite their histories of supporting Democratic candidates. The Daily Wire reported in August that former school board candidate Mindy McClure, who described herself as a “moderate Republican,” had donated to Democratic candidates and anti-Trump organizations through ActBlue dating back to 2018, including Kamala Harris’s 2024 presidential campaign and the Lincoln Project. Another participant, Erin Montgomery, had not voted in a Republican primary since at least 2017 and had participated in more Democratic than Republican primaries over the preceding two decades, according to a Republican source who reviewed voting records.
A Talarico campaign spokesperson told Fox News the women had no official ties to the campaign, maintaining that Republicans were supporting Talarico over Ken Paxton. Meanwhile, former Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley, featured in Talarico’s latest advertisement, previously endorsed Harris and Democrat Colin Allred in 2024.
A similar strategy has emerged in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, where Democratic State Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott is challenging Republican Rep. Zach Nunn.
Trone Garriott appeared alongside a group of self-identified Republican supporters at a campaign event in Urbandale on Wednesday, emphasizing what her campaign characterized as bipartisan support.
“I voted for Zach Nunn last go-around and was very disappointed in promises unkept,” Lee Prince told KCCI.
“I am a lifelong Republican, but this year I’m voting for Sarah, and I’m encouraging all of you to vote for Sarah,” Roger Garrett said.
However, records obtained by Breitbart News show that Prince has not participated in a Republican primary since 2016 and previously contributed to Democratic presidential candidates Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg.
Garrett, meanwhile, has an established history of financially supporting Trone Garriott dating back to 2020.
Campaign finance records show Garrett made four contributions to Trone Garriott totaling $350, including $100 on October 24, 2020; $150 on February 5, 2022; $50 on May 16, 2022; and another $50 on August 17, 2022.
The contributions suggest that Garrett’s support for Trone Garriott predates the current congressional contest by several years, rather than representing a newfound endorsement from a Republican voter.
Nunn, meanwhile, has also received crossover support from Democrats, including elected officials who publicly identify with the opposing party.
His campaign released an advertisement featuring Democratic Des Moines City Council members Mike Simonson and Joe Gatto, Clive City Council member Eric Klein, and victims’ rights advocate Tiffany Allison, who also identifies as a Democrat.
“I’m a moderate Democrat on Des Moines City Council,” Simonson said in the advertisement.
“I’m not voting for Sarah Trone Garriott,” Gatto said.
The advertisement’s narrator characterized Trone Garriott as “too extreme,” while Klein said, “She’s not for common sense solutions.”
“I’m voting for Zach Nunn,” Allison declared.
“I’m supporting Rob Sand, and I strongly support Zach Nunn,” Simonson said, referring to Iowa’s Democratic gubernatorial candidate.
“Zach Nunn delivers for Iowa,” Gatto said.
“Zach really cares. He’s fighting for all of us,” Allison added.
According to Axios Des Moines, Simonson and Gatto’s endorsements have drawn backlash from fellow Democrats, including a pledge to withdraw future financial support.
The report also noted that Simonson was previously listed among Trone Garriott’s local endorsements in December 2025 and donated $7,500 to her that year, illustrating his own shift in support.
Des Moines City Council member Carl Voss has also endorsed Trone Garriott.
“Republicans, Democrats, and Independents support Zach Nunn because they know he delivers for Iowa,” Nunn campaign spokesman Mark Matava told Axios.
