Texas Senate race turns into political food fight over eggs, grocery prices

AUSTIN, Texas - With the Democrat campaigning in the produce aisle and the Republican promising voters millions of free eggs, Texas' Senate race has turned into a political food fight.

Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican candidate, announced an antitrust settlement Tuesday that will send 7 million free eggs to Texas food banks. That comes as his Democratic opponent, James Talarico, released an ad in a grocery store last week promising to lower food costs.

"This settlement serves as another reform that we have secured to prevent price gouging and unlawful conduct that hurts Americans and their wallets," Paxton said in a statement.

Talarico, however, quickly pushed back, saying that Paxton has done little to help Texans struggling with high grocery bills, while roasting Paxton's recent reported vacation to Iceland and referencing his own grocery store ad, "Drowning."

"Ken Paxton is scrambling to distract from the fact that Texans are drowning under the high price of gas, groceries, and healthcare - all while he jets off on a lavish European vacation," said JT Ennis, a Talarico spokesman. "He is the embodiment of the broken, corrupt political system we're running against."

Paxton has consistently denied wrongdoing, calling corruption allegations politically motivated, and he has touted his efforts as AG in holding corporations accountable for raising prices.

The Texas settlement ends antitrust claims brought by attorneys general in 17 states, stemming from allegations that three companies conspired to illegally raise egg prices from 2022 to 2025.

They now are required to donate 53 million eggs to food banks and other community aid groups in those states, including 7 million eggs for Texas, and pay $3.3 million to those states.

The campaign's culinary dispute didn't begin with eggs.

Just weeks ago, Republicans slammed Talarico over his decidedly mainstream choice of a potato, egg and cheese breakfast taco at an Austin event.

Some Republicans seized on the order as evidence he didn't eat meat, even though he has said repeatedly he isn't vegan and has been photographed eating barbecue on the trail.

With grocery costs still among voters' top concerns, neither campaign appears ready to change the menu.

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This story was originally published July 1, 2026 at 6:34 PM.