Obama appears with Gina Hinojosa, Talarico at Austin taco stop
Barack Obama appeared with gina hinojosa and James Talarico at Taco Joint near the University of Texas at Austin on May 12, 2026, and the three spent about 30 minutes moving booth to booth. Obama referred to Talarico and Hinojosa as the state’s next governor and senator, but he did not make public remarks or formally endorse either Democrat.
Taco Joint on May 12
Obama, the former president, joined Talarico, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, and Hinojosa, the Democratic nominee for governor, for a stop that mixed retail campaigning with table-to-table conversation. They discussed issues ranging from data centers to voting, and Obama asked one group whether they knew Hinojosa and Talarico.
A woman at the restaurant told Obama, “Sorry, my hands are so sweaty,” as she shook his hand, then said, “I miss you so much” when she hugged him. Obama paid in cash and received no change.
James Talarico And Gina Hinojosa
The appearance gave both nominees a rare public show of national attention in races described as expensive and uphill. The background in Texas is stark: Gov. Greg Abbott is running for a fourth term with $96 million in his campaign coffers, while U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton are in a competitive runoff for the GOP Senate nomination.
Obama had already called Talarico a “terrific, really talented young man,” and Cornyn responded after the Austin stop by posting, “Hope @jamestalarico also brings President Obama along with @BernieSanders to campaign with him in the general election”.
The Austin stop did not change the formal structure of either race. It gave Talarico and Hinojosa a visible boost in front of a local crowd, while leaving their nominations and Obama’s non-endorsement exactly where they were before the visit.
