James Talarico is trying to turn Texas elections into a breakthrough for Democrats by winning a US Senate seat in Texas for the first time since 1988. He told supporters at the Fiesta Center in Lubbock on Tuesday night that “Texans are ready for change,” as polls suggest he may be close to breaking a more than three-decade losing streak.
The race has drawn attention because it may help decide which party controls Congress next year. Spending has already climbed to more than half a billion dollars, making the contest the most expensive in US history.
Fiesta Center in Lubbock
Talarico, a 37-year-old Democrat, spoke to an estimated 3,000 supporters inside the Fiesta Center in Lubbock, with another thousand listening outside on speakers. He said, “We are done with the extremism and the corruption. We're done with the politics of division, and we are ready for something new.”
At the same event, Aaron Gonzalez said, “It's just so amazing to watch,” and added, “This time is different.” Brendan Steinhauser, a Texas-based Republican campaign strategist, said, “If the Democrats do pull it off, I think it's going to cause a lot of soul searching and a lot of psychological damage to the Republican Party in Texas and nationwide.”
Lubbock and Texas Tech University
Andrew Robinson, a student from nearby Texas Tech University, said, “A Talarico win would mean so much.” He also said, “I haven't been keen on wanting to stay in Texas.” Then he added, “And if the government were to change, it could give me a reason.”
That reaction came in Lubbock, a dusty western plains town of about 250,000 that voted overwhelmingly for President Donald Trump two years ago. Talarico’s campaign has also leaned on a soundtrack of twangy Texas country music, the slogan “clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose,” Texas breakfast tacos, and his repeated references to eight generations of family ties in Texas.
James Talarico and the Senate
The political arithmetic is simple: Democrats in Texas have lost statewide elections for more than three decades, and a Talarico victory would end that run in a race with national consequences. The Senate seat would also mark the first blue result in Texas since 1988.
For Republicans and Democrats, the immediate question is whether polling strength becomes an actual win at the ballot box. Whether James Talarico can convert the current lead into victory is what the election will settle, and the result will show whether Texas still resists a statewide Democratic breakthrough.
