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James Talarico announces U.S. Senate campaign
Texas State Representative James Talarico will be entering the U.S. Senate race and try to flip the seat currently held by Sen. John Cornyn.
AUSTIN, Texas - Texas State Representative James Talarico will be entering the U.S. Senate race and try to flip the seat currently held by Sen. John Cornyn.
Talarico will hold a campaign kick-off rally in his hometown of Round Rock.
What they're saying:
"The biggest divide in our country is not left vs right — it’s top vs bottom. Billionaire mega-donors and their puppet politicians have taken over our state and our country, rigging the system for themselves," says Talarico in a news release.
"I’m running for the U.S. Senate to bring people together and take power back for working Texans. This is an underdog fight. We’re going up against the political establishment, and we’re going up against a lot of money. Big Money is powerful, but it's nothing compared to people power," adds Talarico.
The backstory:
Talarico is an eighth-generation Texan, a former middle school teacher and Presbyterian seminarian.
He ran for the Texas House in 2018, in a district that President Donald Trump won in 2016, and has passed legislation to fund public schools, expand job opportunities for young adults, and lower the cost of child care, housing, and prescription drugs.
The Austin representative has seen online fame in the recent legislative session for his composed delivery of sharp retorts, and mix of progressive policy and traditional Christian values.
Talarico also recently had a much talked about interview on The Joe Rogan Experience.
Dig deeper:
Former U.S. Rep. Allred, who lost to Ted Cruz in the 2024 U.S. Senate race, has already announced he is running for Cornyn's seat.
Retired NASA astronaut Terry Virts has also announced he is running for the Democratic nomination.
Other possible opponents for Talarico could also be former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke, who attempted a bid for Ted Cruz's seat in 2018, and U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro.
The other side:
The current Republican primary race includes incumbent Cornyn, a former Texas AG and Senate minority whip, and current AG Ken Paxton, a self-proclaimed MAGA Republican.
Recent polls have gone back and forth on who holds the lead in the Republican race.
Paxton has led for a time, but in recent months, polling has shown Cornyn closing the gap.
What's next:
Talarcio's campaign kick-off rally will be held at Centennial Plaza in round Rock tonight (9/9) at 6:30 p.m.
Centennial Plaza is located at 301 W Bagdad Avenue.
The Source: Information from office of James Talarico and pervious reporting.