James Talarico's final sprint for Texas Senate

A Democrat's unlikely moment

James Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian and Democratic nominee for Texas Senate, is attempting something no Texas liberal has done since nineteen ninety-four: win a statewide race.

Record money and close polls

Talarico's campaign has raised more than one hundred and thirty-four million dollars, the wealthiest Democratic Senate campaign this cycle, and consistent polling shows him within the margin of error of his opponent.

Paxton's vulnerabilities

Ken Paxton, the state's scandal-plagued attorney general, faces an impeachment trial, corruption charges, and his estranged wife's allegations of infidelity.Trump endorsed him but said he may not be the best-looking guy he has ever seen.

“he may not be the best-looking guy I've ever seen”

Voter anger over costs and immigration

Many voters remain heated over stubbornly high costs, Trump's war in Iran, and his Administration's deportation program. Some who voted for Trump in twenty twenty-four have since soured on the President.

A voter's shift from Trump

John Herrera, a twenty-one-year-old curbside shopper and premed student, cast his first-ever vote for Trump in twenty twenty-four.

“He thinks about himself too much”

The challenge: reaching every Texan

Tory Gavito, president of the donor network Way to Win, says Talarico must reach every type of Texan.There is no single theory of change to win the state; every demographic must decide enough is enough.

“Talarico has to do everything”

Concerns about his message

Gavito worries that Talarico's ads touting the largest property tax cut in Texas history send the wrong message when young people struggle to afford rent. Property tax is a meaningless concept to them.

“Property tax is a meaningless concept to them”

A message that covers everything

Talarico's closing message attempts to cover everything, from the etymology of the word Texas to the mythos of Beyoncé and Selena. He compares himself to Biblical David and Coach Eric Taylor from Friday Night Lights.

“This is the last play of the last drive”

No national Democrats on the trail

Talarico has avoided joint rallies with national Democratic figures, an omission his surrogates attribute to a desire to focus on Texas rather than on the Party. Some voters expressed skepticism about campaigning with Kamala Harris.

Concerns about Black voter engagement

After beating Jasmine Crockett in the primary, Talarico was told he needed to show up in Black communities. Chas Moore, co-founder of Austin Justice Coalition, questioned how a white candidate could understand Black voters' experiences.

“For a lot of us, it's, like, Well, how can this white boy, for real, for real, understand this, when he hasn't been in these situations?”

The risk of low Black turnout

Other lawmakers and activists have expressed concerns that the campaign is not doing enough to turn out Black voters.

“or they just don't show up, which, to me, is a vote for Paxton”

Record Latino outreach spending

During the primary, Talarico's team spent the most money on Spanish-language outreach and ads that Chuck Rocha has seen a Texas candidate spend in his three and a half decades working in politics.

The Rio Grande Valley focus

The campaign spent roughly equal amounts on Latino and Black outreach, with a focus on the Rio Grande Valley, an area which is more than ninety percent Latino.

Talarico's name recognition gap

At a Voto Latino event in Weslaco featuring Los Tigres del Norte, Thomas Saenz, a twenty-three-year-old content creator, felt Talarico's name was not well known in the Valley compared to other Democrats running for office.

“You'd almost think Bobby was running for Senate”

Latino voters rejecting extremism

Bobby Pulido, a centrist Democrat running for Congress, said that if Talarico wins, it will be because of the Latino vote. His community is rejecting extremism from both the left and the right.

“it will be because of the Latino vote”

Immigration enforcement's local impact

At a Brownsville event, Martha de la Garza and Analisa Martinez left early after seeing Talarico speak before. Martinez mentioned how ICE raids had driven down business at the secondhand store where she works.