Podcast Summary

Podcast: Bulwark Takes
Episode: Terry Virts: Paxton is Evil & Corrupt...And He'll Win
Date: August 26, 2025
Host: Lauren Egan (The Bulwark)
Guest: Terry Virts, Democratic Senate Candidate, Texas

Episode Overview

This episode features a candid conversation between Lauren Egan and Terry Virts, a former astronaut and F-16 pilot who is running in the 2026 Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Texas. Virts critiques both state and national Democratic leadership, lays out his vision for course-correcting the party, and details how his background and approach differ from traditional Texas Democratic candidates. He also warns of the dangers of Ken Paxton, predicts Paxton’s likely Senate victory if Democrats don’t change, and discusses the disconnect between Democratic leadership and Texas voters.

Key Discussion Points

Terry Virts’ Senate Campaign and Leadership Critique

• Video Symbolism and Messaging
  • Virts highlights his campaign launch video, shot in a WWII jeep and a space shuttle cockpit, as a nod to his authentic, unique story (01:20).
• Democratic Leadership and Need for Change
  • Staunchly asserts he would not vote for Chuck Schumer as Democratic leader if elected, comparing the need for party leadership change to replacing a failing sports coach (02:15).
  • Quote:

    “Democratic Party is in really bad shape right now, and this moment demands that we get in better shape. We've got Donald Trump, and I say this very deliberately, is a fascist...the only way to fight back...is with a healthy Democratic Party. And the party is anything but healthy.” — Terry Virts (01:40)

Lessons from 2024 and Need for Honest Self-Assessment

• Criticizes Delay in Democratic Post-Election ‘Debrief’
  • Praises DNC Chairman Ken Martin for conducting a postmortem, but says it is too late (04:14).
  • Calls for ongoing, public debriefs modeled after how pilots and astronauts analyze missions (02:57).
• Candid Critique of Biden and Party Messaging
  • Argues Democrats misled voters about Biden’s viability and ignored grassroots concerns on immigration and the economy (04:45–05:50).
  • Quote:

    “Everybody in America knew [Biden] was too old to run again...We told voters he wasn't too old. The voters didn't believe us. They trusted Donald Trump more than they trusted us.” — Terry Virts (04:33)

• Emphasizes need for mid-course corrections as in flight missions:

  “You don't just stay on the same orbit. You have to make...course corrections...We need to make those changes now and not wait...” (06:29)

Rethinking Democratic Strategy for Texas

• Refocus on Middle and Working Class Over Culture Wars
  • Cites Rep. Elissa Slotkin’s Michigan ‘middle-class issues’ model, urges abandonment of divisive culture war positions, and shift toward economic opportunity and education (07:12–09:13).
  • Quote:

    “We need to stop the culture war stuff. Voters have voted. They don't want that. And we need to focus on the middle class, the working class, on strengthening our middle class. It's being eroded terribly by billionaires.” — Terry Virts (07:13)

  • Notes catastrophic Democratic losses in rural counties and in party registration across 30 states (08:20–09:19).
• Texas' Unique Political Environment
  • Recalls that Democrats haven’t won statewide in 30+ years, insists on the need for a total approach change and a new type of candidate (10:20–11:24).
  • Quote:

    “Running the same candidate who just lost is not the right answer. I think running a proud, progressive person that can win in the very blue suburbs of Austin is not the answer for a state like Texas statewide.” — Terry Virts (11:26)

Breaking Through as a Political Outsider

• Personal and Campaign Strategy
  • Outlines “ground game” strategy: travel across Texas, connect with voters through traditional media and podcasts, and differentiate himself via his unique biography (10:20–11:12).
• Comparison with Mark Kelly
  • References conversations with fellow astronaut-turned-senator Mark Kelly for campaign advice (12:52).
  • Asserts that non-politicians with public service backgrounds can connect with Texas voters.

Warning About Ken Paxton

• Blunt Assessment of Republican Front-runner
  • Warns that Ken Paxton, whom he calls “evil, mean and corrupt,” is likely to win the Republican primary and could be the next Senator unless Democrats change course (13:38–14:28).
  • Quote:

    “Ken Paxton is the evil, mean, and corrupt man who's going to win the Republican primary. He's been indicted. He's been impeached. He survived his impeachment by one vote...And he's way ahead in the polls. So Texas is going to have Senator Ken Paxton unless the Democrats do something better.” — Terry Virts (13:40)

Criticism of National Party Interference in Texas Primaries

• Calls for Local Control
  • Asserts Texas voters, not national Democrats, should choose the Democratic nominee—criticizes out-of-state influence (15:33–16:22).
  • Labels Colin Allred “Chuck Schumer’s handpicked candidate.”
  • Quote:

    “I think most Texas voters would object very strongly to a guy from New York picking their next senator. The national party needs more Texas and Texas does not need any more Washington D.C.” — Terry Virts (15:38)

• Primary Process and Voter Trust
  • Suggests lack of competitive primaries erodes faith in party democracy and relates this to Kamala Harris’ 2024 presidential campaign.

Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• On the Need for Change:

  “It's insane to continue to try to do the same thing and hope for a different result.” — Terry Virts (02:28)

• On Democratic Messaging:

  “It felt like we were gaslighting voters. And they trusted Donald Trump, which is unbelievable. They voters know that he's a liar, but they still trusted him more than us. And that's a serious problem.” — Terry Virts (05:19)

• On Ken Paxton:

  “Ken Paxton is the evil, mean and corrupt man who's going to win the Republican primary. He's been indicted. He's been impeached. He survived his impeachment by one vote in the Texas Senate.” — Terry Virts (13:38)

• On National Party Involvement:

  “The national party has a pretty bad track record of picking candidates. You know, they're trying to get involved in the Michigan race. Voters don't want that.” — Terry Virts (15:45)

Important Timestamps

• 02:15 — Virts on Senate leadership and criticism of Schumer
• 04:33 — On Biden, party unity, and misguided messaging
• 07:13 — Call to drop “culture war stuff”
• 11:26 — On why the same candidates keep losing in Texas
• 13:38 — Dire warning about Ken Paxton
• 15:38 — Arguing for Texas’ right to choose its own nominee
• 17:19 — Closing remarks, campaign website plug

Tone and Style

Virts is blunt, candid, and frequently employs metaphors from the military and space flight. He is highly critical both of Republican threats to democracy and national Democratic leaders’ strategic failures, while projecting a fiercely Texan, pragmatic, and no-nonsense persona.

For more, visit Terry Virts’ campaign website or watch his launch video featuring WWII jeeps and the space shuttle cockpit.