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Politics
09 September 2025

James Talarico Launches Senate Bid Shaking Up Texas Race

The Austin Democrat enters a crowded primary, vowing generational change and working-class advocacy as Texas faces its most competitive Senate contest in years.

Texas State Representative James Talarico, a 36-year-old Democrat from Austin, officially launched his campaign for the U.S. Senate on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, setting the stage for what promises to be one of the most closely watched races in the state’s recent political history. Talarico, a former middle school English teacher and rising star in Texas politics, is vying for the seat currently held by four-term Republican Senator John Cornyn, 73. But first, he must navigate a crowded and competitive Democratic primary that includes former U.S. Representative Colin Allred, former astronaut Terry Virts, and potentially high-profile figures like Beto O’Rourke and Joaquin Castro, according to The Texas Tribune and San Antonio Current.

Talarico’s announcement, made at a rally in his hometown of Round Rock just north of Austin, was the culmination of months of speculation and rumors about his political ambitions. In a room full of energized Democrats, he declared, “The Democratic Party has forgotten how to fight, but this critical moment in our country’s history demands fighters, not folders. It’s time to start flipping tables.” As reported by The Texas Tribune, Talarico is positioning himself as a fighter ready to shake up the status quo and reclaim the party’s working-class roots.

His campaign launch comes at a time when Texas Democrats are searching for a breakthrough after more than three decades without a statewide electoral victory. Despite former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke coming within three percentage points of defeating Senator Ted Cruz in 2018, Republicans have since widened their margins, with President Donald Trump winning the state by over 13 points in the last presidential race, according to Associated Press coverage cited in The Texas Tribune.

In an interview with The Texas Tribune, Talarico expressed a desire to move beyond what he called “10 years of Trumpian politics — politics as blood sport,” adding, “There is a hunger 10 years later for a return to more timeless values of sincerity and honesty and compassion and respect.” He hopes to offer voters a fundamentally different kind of politics, one that is less about partisan brinkmanship and more about practical solutions to everyday problems.

Talarico’s personal story is central to his campaign message. Raised by a working-class single mother, he often recounts how his nursery was a repurposed closet in her bedroom. Before entering politics, he taught English at Rhodes Middle School on San Antonio’s West Side, where many of his students came from immigrant families. These experiences, he says, have shaped his commitment to advocating for the working class and for public education. As San Antonio Current reports, Talarico has been one of the most vocal opponents of Governor Greg Abbott’s school voucher program, arguing that it benefits the wealthy at the expense of low-income families.

His campaign platform reflects these priorities: lowering the costs of childcare and housing, expanding access to health care, and increasing funding for public schools. Talarico has also made clear that he intends to reject the influence of billionaires and deep-pocket donors in politics. In his campaign video, he emphasized his religious faith and denounced the outsized role of money in government, a stance that resonates with many progressive and working-class voters.

But Talarico’s appeal is not limited to policy. He has developed a national profile thanks to his viral social media presence, particularly on TikTok, where he amassed more than 1.2 million followers during the 2025 legislative session, according to Hearst Newspapers. Clips of his floor speeches and exchanges with Republican lawmakers—often invoking his Christian faith to challenge conservative proposals—have earned him a reputation as a cool-headed but formidable debater. This summer, he appeared on comedian Joe Rogan’s podcast, where Rogan gushed, “You need to run for president.” The appearance gave Talarico exposure to a massive audience of independent and conservative-leaning men under 45, a demographic Democrats often struggle to reach.

Despite his rising star, Talarico faces significant hurdles. Recent polling by Texas Southern University, cited by Hearst Newspapers, shows that more than a quarter of voters do not know enough about him to form an opinion. In contrast, Allred and O’Rourke enjoy near-universal name recognition among Texas Democrats. Mark Jones, a Rice University political science professor, noted, “Talarico is really popular among younger voters, so the more Talarico is able to get out there and raise money, he could be a very competitive candidate against Allred.” Still, Jones cautioned that both Talarico and Allred would trail O’Rourke if the former congressman enters the race.

The Republican side is no less tumultuous. Senator Cornyn, seeking a fifth term, faces a tough primary challenge from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a figure aligned with the MAGA movement and beset by political scandals and personal drama, including a recent divorce. Paxton was impeached in 2023 by the Republican-led House on charges of bribery and abuse of public trust, but he was acquitted in a historic trial. Now, he seeks to position himself as an outsider more in tune with the state’s conservative base, as noted by The Texas Tribune.

National Republicans have already begun framing Talarico as “an out-of-touch Harvard liberal” who would undermine gun rights and liberalize abortion and transgender policies, according to statements reported by Hearst Newspapers. Talarico, who holds degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and Harvard University and is working toward a Master of Divinity at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, has not shied away from his educational background or his faith. He often challenges both Republicans and Democrats, saying, “I’m proud to be a part of this political party, but I already have a religion and I already have a sports team. The purpose of a political party is to organize, win political power and make people’s lives better. And if it’s not doing that, then something’s got to change.”

He has also criticized national Democrats for being “spineless” and “soulless,” accusing them of swooping into Texas to raise money while doing little to help rebuild the state party. “We’re supposed to be the party of the working man, the working woman, the party of the little guy,” Talarico said. “And we’ve lost that in recent years, especially in the national Democratic Party.”

With the Democratic primary set for March 3, 2026, and the general election looming in November, Texas voters are poised to witness a generational contest that could reshape the state’s political landscape. Whether Talarico’s message of sincerity, generational change, and working-class advocacy can break the Republican stronghold remains to be seen, but his campaign has already injected fresh energy into the race and challenged both parties to reconsider their approach to Texas voters.

As the campaign season unfolds, all eyes will be on Texas to see whether the state’s political winds are truly shifting—or if, as history has shown, the status quo will prevail yet again.