You all probably have already heard about GOP Senate candidate (and incumbent Texas Attorney General) Ken Paxton’s attacks on Alyssa Edwards as he has tried to use the iconic queen as a weapon to attack Democrat James Talarico after Talarico earlier this month immediatey named Alyssa when asked who his favorite drag queen is.
(If you haven’t heard about it, then come out from under that rock where you’ve been living and start paying attention. This race between Talarico and Paxton is IMPORTANT, dammit!))
After video of the Talarco Q&A surfaced, Paxton first took to social media to post: “What normal person can name their favorite drag queen this quickly?” (I’d like to know what normal person can’t.)
Then the Paxton campaign released an ad featuring a montage of Alyssa’s media appearances and her work with the kids at her dance studio, Beyond Belief Dance Company. Paxton’s ad included the tag line, “Meet Alyssa Edwards: James Talarico’s favorite sick and twisted drag queen.”
The ad then ends with the declaration, “James Talarico: Too weird, too radical for Texas.”
I think it is important, at this juncture, to point out that Ken Paxton spent the first nine years of his tenure as attorney general, from 2015 to 2024, under indictment on federak charges of securities fraud and failing to register as an investment advisor. The only reason those charges went away was in March 2024 he reached a deal with special prosecutors under which he agreed to complete 100 hours of community service, take legal ethics courses (Texas’ ATTORNEY GENERAL had to take legal ethics courses!!!) and pay nearly $300,000 in restitution.
It’s also important to know that in 2020, high-ranking members of Paxton’s own staff at the Office of the Attorney General went to the FBI with allegations that Paxton was using the power of his office to benefit a businessman, Nate Paul, who had donated some big bucks to Paxton’s 2018 re-election campaign. Paul also gave Paxton’s mistress a job. (Yep, the Texas AG, married to state Sen. Angela Paxton, had a mistress and got his buddy Nate to give that mistress a job.) They also said Paxton had then illegally retaliated against them for tattling on him to the FBI.
Then when the whistleblowers agreed in court to a settlement, Paxton asked the state for $3.3 million in taxpayers dollars to pay them off.
That request, along with allegations of abuse of power and maybe even the fact that he was cheating on his wife, prompted the Texas House of Representatives — controlled by the GOP, Paxton’s own party — to vote overwhelmingly in May 2023 to impeach the attorney general. Unfortunately for the state of Texas, in September that same year the Texas Senate — minus Sen. Angela Paxton, who was barred from participating in the vote — to acquit Ken Paxton on all 16 articles of impeachment.
While Angela Paxton couldn’t participate in that vote, it appears she had forgiven him for the whole mistress thing and probably would have voted to acquit him — back in 2023, at least. But last summer, in July 2025, Sen. Paxton decided she had had enough of ol’ Ken’s cheating ass and filed for divorce “on biblical grounds.” Yep, Ken had found himself a whole new mistress, married “Christian influencer” Tracy Duhon, and the two have been very open about their relationship, even going to Iceland and then London on vacation over the Fourth of July.
Paxton decided a year or two ago not to run for re-election to the OAG but to instead challenge longtime incumbent John Cornyn for Cornyn’s seat in the Senate. Paxton bagged Donald Trump’s endorsement earlier this year in the GOP Primary and defeated Cornyn. He now faces state Rep. Talarico, the Democratic senate nominee, in the November general election.
Which brings us back to his attack on Alyssa Edwards.
Because Paxton can’t really run on his record or even on the GOP’s record, considering both of those records basically suck ass, he — like many other Republicans this year — are trying to distract voters from actual, serious, important issues — including the fact that Paxton gave a sweetheart deal to a convicted child abuser that allowed the pedophile to spend only one day behind bars AND not have to register as a sex offender — by playing up ridiculous accusations and turning transgender people and drag queens into the big bad boogymen out to disenfranchise every “real” woman and abuse every child in Texas.
Yes, that’s right: The party and the candidates who passed intrusive and dangerous anti-abortion laws that are literally killing women, and who are regularly caught having molested children (or in Paxton’s case, letting molesters off easy) are trying to win the election by accusing trans people and drag queens of endangering women and children.
It boggles the mind. But it didn’t boggle Alyssa Edwards’ mind. Alyssa, aka Justin Johsnon, responded to Ken Paxton’s nasty slurs with what has to be one of the best, most reasonable, most powerful and most “when-they-go-low-we-go-high” statments ever.
Alyssa’s response is far too amazing for me to try to give some kind of synopsis of it. Instead, I am reprinting her statement here, in its entirety, from her Instagram (by the way, do go to Alyssa’s Instagram and read the comments under her letter. They give me hope for the future):
“Ken Paxton,
Hello there. I’m not sure I fully understand your motive or intention in attempting to disparage my name, my character or my reputation. But I do know this: The way we choose to speak about others often says far more about our own character than it ever will about theirs.
As a Texas — and a very proud one at that — I would hope that your focus would remain on policy, leadership and what you intend to provide for the future of ALL Texans.
And since you wanted your followers to meet me, allow me to properly introduce myself:
My name is Justin Johnson, born and raised in Mesquite, Texas. I am one of seven children. I am an educator of 30 years, a choreographer, an entrepreneur, a mentor, and yes, I also happen to be a drag performer — inspired by Mrs. Doubtfire and Patrick Swayze in To Wong Foo.
My career has taken me places I could never have imagined. I have appeared on America’s Got Talent alongside my students, competed on Amazon’s The GOAT, ABC’s To Tell The Truth and had the honor of winning RuPaul’s Drag Race Global All Stars, where I proudly represented the United States of America.
But among all of those accomplishments, one of the things I remain most proud of is Beyond Belief Dance Company.
What began as a community recreation program at a YMCA grew into a place where generations of young people have been encouraged to discover their creativity, ignite their passion, develop discipline and, perhaps most importantly, believe in themselves. I have devoted more than half my life to that purpose. Watching my students go on to attend college conservatories, pursue professional dance careers and become meaningful contributors to society has been the greatest reward of all.
I also grew up in the Baptist Church, and my Christian faith remains part of my story. My life may look different from yours, but difference does not diminish character, faith, service or a person’s ability to positively contribute to their community.
Ultimately, I am proud of who I am. I know who I am. I know what I stand for and what I still hope to accomplish.
And, if you happened to catch my Netflix docuseries along the way, I sincerely hope you enjoyed it.
Texas is big enough for all of us.
With Texas pride,
