Smack dab in the middle of his Democratic rival’s home turf, newly minted Senate candidate James Talarico on Thursday called on North Texas voters to reject the politics of division and unite against a common foe: the nation’s billionaires.
“So many of the divisions in this country are manufactured by billionaires who want us fighting each other, so that we’re not fighting them,” Talarico told an overflow crowd at Deep Ellum Art Co. in Dallas. “They want us looking left and right at each other, so that we’re not looking up at them. The biggest divide in our politics is not left versus right, it’s top versus bottom.”
The 2026 Texas primary for the U.S. Senate seat held by John Cornyn is drawing a field of strong candidates, and primaries on both sides are expected to be competitive. The outcome of the race could have a significant impact on state and national politics.
Talarico, a state representative from Austin, said polarizing politics and culture war issues are manufactured by the billionaire class and exacerbated by social media moguls who push algorithms designed to keep Americans at loggerheads.
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He said transgender residents, undocumented residents and Muslims each make up 1% of the U.S. population, and that they were not responsible for “defunding schools,” taxing policy or any of the issues that should be paramount in the political discourse.
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Talarico said billionaires also make up 1% of the population, adding “The only minority destroying America is the billionaires… We are focused on the wrong 1%.”
A large crowd of supporters gathered to hear from state Rep. James Talarico, who is running in the Democratic primary against Colin Allred, at Deep Ellum Art Co. in Dallas on Sept. 18, 2025.
Steve Hamm / Special Contributor
“They divide us by party, by race, by gender, by religion, to keep us from seeing that they’re picking our pockets, that they’re closing our schools, that they’re gutting our health care, that they’re cutting taxes to themselves while they raise taxes on all of us,” Talarico said. “It is the oldest strategy in the world, divide and conquer. They are trying to keep us from seeing all that we have in common.”
Talarico announced his campaign for the Democratic nomination for Senate last week, saying he was the underdog in the March primary and — if he makes it that far — the November 2026 general election.
His most formidable primary opponent is former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, D-Dallas and the unsuccessful 2024 Democratic Senate nominee against Republican Ted Cruz. Allred on Thursday hosted a town hall meeting in Waco.
During his speech Talarico mentioned Allred’s name only once.
“I probably shouldn’t start a political campaign by saying something nice about my opponent, but Colin Allred is a good man,” Talarico said. “All of us, including me, put our faith in him as our Democratic nominee two years ago, and I was out there with many of you trying to help him defeat Ted Cruz. And at the time, I said Ted Cruz is the worst senator in America. Looking at the current Republican field in this race, I think that title might be up for grabs.”
In an interview after his speech, Talarico was asked what made him a better choice than Allred.
“I’m here to earn the trust and the support of people in D-FW, and I may not be from here, but I won a seat in the state Legislature by flipping a Trump district that people thought was unwinnable, thought was impossible,” Talarico answered. “So I know how to bring people together from diverse communities to do big things, impossible things, and I hope to do that statewide in 2026.”
An overflow crowd filled Deep Ellum Art Co. in Dallas on Sept. 18, 2025, at a campaign stop for newly minted U.S. Senate candidate state Rep. James Talarico, who is running in the Democratic primary against Colin Allred.
Steve Hamm / Special Contributor
In 2018, when Talarico flipped a Republican statehouse district, Allred won the then-Republican-leaning Congressional District 32 against Republican Pete Sessions.
The event served to showcase some of Talarico’s Dallas County support. Speaking on the program and pledging to support his candidacy was state Rep. Aicha Davis, D-Dallas, who introduced Talarico. Also on the program were former state Rep. Carol Sherman Sr., D-DeSoto, and State Board of Education member Tiffany Clark, also from DeSoto. And sitting in the VIP section were state Reps. Terry Meza of Irving and John Bryant of Dallas.
Dallas County Democratic Party Chairman Kardal Coleman kicked off the program, but as party chairman is not endorsing a candidate in the Democratic Senate primary.
On Tuesday, Allred unveiled a list of five Texas House Democrats backing him that included state Reps. Toni Rose of Dallas and Rhetta Andrews Bowers of Rowlett. Allred launched his Senate campaign in July.
Talarico praised the energy in the room and said Texans needed to be united to topple either incumbent Sen. John Cornyn or Attorney General Ken Paxton. They are the major candidates vying for the GOP Senate nomination.
“Neither John Cornyn nor Ken Paxton deserve the honor of representing Texas,” Talarico said. “Both of them are far more interested in serving their donors and serving the people of this state. Both of them have sold us out time and time again.”
Former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred and state Rep. James Talarico have become competitors on the campaign trail as they both vie for a U.S. Senate seat.
Shafkat Anowar | Mikala Compton / Staff Photographer, Austin American-Statesman via AP
Defeating Cornyn and Paxton requires unity, Talarico said.
“The most revolutionary thing you can do in an age of division is bring people together,” he said. “We are far more the same than we are different. We have shared problems and shared dreams. Imagine who we could take on, if we did it together. Imagine what we could change in this country, if we did it together. As one team, we’re unstoppable.”