Texas Rep. James Talarico officially launches bid for U.S. Senate

Texas State rep. James Talarico speaks to reporters following a Town Hall event in San Antonio. Credit: Stephanie Koithan

Texas House Rep. James Talarico, D-Round Rock, has officially launched his bid for the U.S. Senate after months of teases and rumors.

The 36-year-old Talarico is chasing the seat held by by four-term Republican Sen. John Cornyn, 73.

But first, Talarico has to contend in the Democratic primary with U.S. Rep. Collin Allred of Dallas, who announced his Senate bid July 1. Former astronaut Terry Virts has also thrown his hat into the ring as a Democrat.

Other Dems rumored to be eyeing the race include former senatorial, presidential and gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke of El Paso, making for a potentially crowded primary.

Cornyn also faces a tough battle in his own primary from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a MAGA loyalist mired in political scandals and an unfolding divorce drama. Despite the baggage, Paxton remains the favored contender in the Republican primary.

Talarico represents the young upstart in the race, though his oratorial skills far surpass some of the most seasoned politicians.

In his campaign announcement, the former San Antonio school teacher and aspiring progressive pastor promised a departure from partisan brinksmanship in favor of a focus on benefitting the working class over billionaires.

“It’s been 10 years of Trumpian politics — politics as blood sport,” Talarico said in an interview with the Texas Tribune. “This campaign can show people what a different kind of politics would look like — one that actually fights for people regardless of their party or their race or their gender or their religion — and takes on this broken political system and the very powerful people who benefit from this system being broken.”

Talarico rose to prominence during the last year as one of the loudest voices opposing Gov. Greg Abbott’s school voucher program, which he argued benefited the wealthy to the detriment of low-income families.

Talarico himself was raised by a working-class single mother. During a stop this summer at San Antonio’s Stable Hall, Talarico wove a stirring origin story, describing his nursery as a small, repurposed closet in his mother’s bedroom.

The four-term state legislator’s working-class bonafides also include teaching English at Rhodes Middle School on San Antonio’s West Side, where many of his students came from immigrant families.

Among the priorities in his platform, Talarico plans to lower costs of childcare and housing, expand health care access and inject more funding into public schools.

Talarico has served in the Texas House since 2018, representing North Austin and parts of Pflugerville and Round Rock.

As a millennial politician, Talarico successfully harnessed social media by going viral with takedowns of conservatives on the House floor, often drawing on his Christian faith to justify his positions on issues.

Talarico also made an appearance on comedian Joe Rogan’s podcast this summer, during which the host gushed, “You need to run for president.” The Rogan appearance was one of several where the politician signaled that his platform would reject the partisan paradigm in favor of class-conscious us-versus-the-billionaires messaging.

Talarico’s name was also tossed around as a potential opponent for Gov. Greg Abbott in the race for the state’s highest office — especially since it would make a tidy story arc after the state rep’s war against Abbott’s “voucher scam.”

However, Talarico ultimately decided his skills — particularly his talent for sparring in floor debates — are more easily transferrable to the Senate, the Tribune reports. In video clips of such moments, Talarico remains cool and unflappable as he ruthlessly and surgically dismantles GOP talking points.

“My ability to question witnesses to get to the truth in committee hearings, and my ability to hold colleagues accountable on the House floor and go toe-to-toe in these debates that are so important — those skills are that I’ve developed that, I think, could be put to the best use for the people of the state as a U.S. Senator,” Talarico told the Tribune.

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Texas Rep. James Talarico officially launches bid for U.S. Senate

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