James Talarico, the Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Texas, invoked the state's musical legends as he rallied voters in El Paso this week. "Our musicians are so iconic, they only need one name: Willie. Beyoncé. Selena."
The 37-year-old state representative and former middle-school teacher has become a marquee political figure, not just in Texas. His race, which could become the most expensive in the history of nonpresidential campaigns, may decide which party controls the Senate. The $158 million donated by Elon Musk to groups supporting Talarico's Republican opponent and state attorney general Ken Paxton has thrown Republicans into a panic.
Talarico has cast his campaign in biblical terms. He is David, the corrupt political system embodied by Paxton is Goliath, and in every city he declares, "You are my slingshot." His rallies have drawn overflow crowds, including an estimated 4,000 people in Lubbock, an extraordinary turnout for a Democrat in the ruby-red city.
Still, the outlook is uncertain. Luke Warford, chairman of the Travis County Democratic Party, said Talarico has "at most a 50 percent chance of winning." A New York Times/Siena poll and a CNN/SSRS poll showed him ahead by 6 percentage points, while other recent surveys found the race tied or within the margin of error. A major obstacle is the wave of attack ads funded by Musk, which portray Talarico as a far-left extremist.
Source: New York Times Top Stories · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing