Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton recently accused St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Austin of “harboring illegals” and claimed that one of its ministers stated most members are atheists. This allegation targets his Democratic Senate rival, Rep. James Talarico, who attends the church.

Paxton’s accusation was published on X, six weeks before the midterm elections. Talarico currently leads Paxton in the polls despite the historical Republican dominance in Texas. Democrats aim to control the Senate in November, a move that could limit President Trump’s legislative power for the remainder of his term.

On X, Paxton wrote that Talarico’s “home” church hosts undocumented immigrants, displays a trans flag over the cross, and is comprised mostly of atheists. Paxton accused Talarico of misleading Texans and shared an undercover video from Texas Scorecard, a conservative group. In the video, Reverend Carol Johnson mentions a Guatemalan resident living in the church’s sanctuary while advocating for LGBTQ+ and racial justice.

Newsweek contacted involved parties for comments. Talarico, a lifelong member of St. Andrew’s, cites his church as shaping his political views. He faced criticism from Paxton, who shared an edited AI clip of Talarico expressing distaste for Christianity.

The church faced scrutiny after a conservative site released recordings from Reverend Babs Miller suggesting the congregation is largely agnostic or atheist. Townhall.com interpreted Miller’s comments on the church members’ unfortunate assassination attempt on Donald Trump.

Recent polls show Talarico leading Paxton in key surveys, including one from Emerson College, with prediction markets favoring Talarico’s victory in the Senate race. Paxton received significant campaign funding from MAGA Inc.

Additional tension arose as George W. Bush omitted Paxton from a Republican fundraiser, supporting other prominent GOP Senate candidates. Paxton previously defeated John Cornyn in a Republican primary runoff, highlighting the tensions within the GOP.