FIRST ON FOX: Dallas Cowboys legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy White has endorsed Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the state’s consequential U.S. Senate race.
“Ken Paxton will get in there and get things done. He’s not afraid,” White told OutKick in an exclusive interview. “That’s one thing I really like about Ken. He will get in there and say what needs to be said. He doesn’t hold back. He tells the truth. He’s not trying to win a popularity contest when he’s working. It’s what’s right for the people.”
White said his endorsement grew out of his personal relationship with Paxton and their shared work on issues involving children and the opioid crisis.
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Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Randy White (#54) gets set for a snap during a game against the Baltimore Colts on Dec. 6, 1981, at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, Md. (Getty Images)
“I got to know Ken as a person, and I think he is a super person,” White said. “I like his attitude, the things that he does, the way he does them.”
White highlighted Paxton’s support for the National Child Identification Program, which provides parents with kits to preserve their children’s fingerprints, DNA and other identifying information at home. Paxton previously joined a coalition supporting federal funding for the program, while White has served as one of its Hall of Fame ambassadors.
“He is a big supporter of the Child ID program, which is something I’m a big supporter of — helping kids,” White said.
White also lost his son-in-law to an accidental opioid overdose, a personal tragedy that prompted him to become an advocate for drug-awareness initiatives. In 2024, White joined Paxton and Texas parents who had lost children to fentanyl-laced drugs in a public service announcement released by the attorney general’s office.
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“This opioid stuff — I lost a son-in-law to opioids, accidental,” White said. “He’s been right on top of that ever since that happened. Everything he does is kind of the way I think it should be done.”
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White drew a stark contrast between Paxton and Talarico, whom he said he does not trust.
“I know Ken Paxton,” White said. “I know he’s going to do what he says he’s going to do. I know he’s going to go to work every day, and he’s going to help the people of Texas. This other guy, I don’t know him. But I hear what he says, and it’s different from what I believe.”
Asked whether he considered Talarico “too woke,” White answered, “Yes.”
“I don’t want to go into each specific thing, but, yeah, he’s different than what I think is right,” White said. “If this guy gets elected in Texas, I’m going to pull my hair out, and I don’t have many left. So, we’ve got to get out and vote so this doesn’t happen.”
White specifically cited transgender participation in girls’ sports and access to girls’ bathrooms among the issues on which he disagreed with Democrats and Talarico.
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico speaks during a campaign rally at the Cailloux Theater on Aug. 31, 2026, in Kerrville, Texas. Talarico is campaigning across the state in a close race against Republican candidate and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton ahead of the Nov. 3 general election. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
Talarico voted against Republican-backed restrictions on transgender athletes while serving in the Texas House. In September, however, he told Fox News that he would “oppose trans athletes playing in girls’ sports if it risks safety or fairness.”
Talarico later said his position had not changed, arguing that he opposes a blanket statewide prohibition and believes local education and sports officials should make decisions on an athlete-by-athlete and sport-by-sport basis.
White said Talarico’s recent comments reinforced his doubts about the Democrat.
“I think that’s a sign that we can’t trust him,” White said. “He’s going to go with the way the wind flows, whatever he feels like is the best thing for him and what his goals are. We don’t need somebody like that.
“We need somebody like Ken Paxton who is going to stick to his guns, who is not afraid to stand up for what he believes is right.”
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Talarico’s office has not responded to a request for comment.
Paxton secured the Republican nomination in May after defeating longtime Sen. John Cornyn in a primary runoff, an outcome that underscored President Donald Trump’s influence over the Republican Party. Trump endorsed Paxton shortly before the runoff.
The general-election race has become unexpectedly competitive. A Fox News Poll conducted Sept. 24-28 found Talarico leading Paxton 51%-49% among likely voters, a result within the poll’s three-point margin of sampling error. Several other recent public polls have also shown Talarico narrowly ahead.
White nevertheless expressed unequivocal support for Trump, whose political standing and handling of the economy have become central issues in the race.
“I love President Trump. I’m behind him 1,000%,” White said. “These gas prices, we’re paying a little more for gas right now. But I tell you what, he’s saving the world. And we’ve got to pay a little bit more for gas — OK, well, let’s pay it for a while.
“He’ll get gas prices back down where they were. It’s just something that’s part of the process of getting America back where it needs to be and making it safe.”
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White also backed Trump’s handling of the war with Iran.
“We had to do it. You had to,” White said. “They’re never going to stop. They are never going to stop. … What President Trump is doing, I think, is the best thing for our country.”
