Midterms in the USA: Texas is excited about James Talarico

It's a sunny October day in San Antonio, Texas. This Saturday, several hundred people are waiting in line in front of a small, historic concert hall. They're all here to see up close and personal the Democratic Party's hopeful in Texas: James Talarico.

The 36-year-old state legislator and candidate for pastorate could do something in the coming week that no Democrat in Texas has been able to do in almost 40 years. He could be elected to the US Senate.

The reason for this is, in addition to his charisma and his legislative successes at the state level, also his faith. In a state like Texas, which partly belongs to the so-called “Bible Belt” of the USA, religion is always political.

This year, his Republican opponent in the Senate race, the current Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, is not exactly inspiring enthusiasm among voters. The dissatisfaction of many voters with US President Donald Trump also contributes to this. Trump had recommended Paxton for election during the primaries against Republican incumbent John Cornyn, thanking Paxton for supporting his campaign as attorney general in 2020 not to recognize the election defeat against Joe Biden.

According to polls, it is still a neck-and-neck race between Talarico and Paxton. Talarico is slightly ahead in most surveys - with an average lead of 1.5 percentage points, but within the statistical margin of error.

Euphoria still prevails among Talarico's supporters. They are convinced that the former teacher will be the next Texas senator. This also includes actress Eva Longoria, known from the former hit show “Desperate Housewives” and a true Texan. She has long supported the Democrats and is also there this Saturday afternoon to get people in the mood for the final spurt of the election campaign.

When Talarico then enters the stage, the slightly more than a thousand visitors in the concert hall go wild. He's used to this now. Over the past seven years, he has made a name for himself as a Texas state legislator, first through his legislative work and then increasingly through his television appearances and viral videos.

As early as 2023, Politico called him “The Next Big Thing in Texas Politics.” His eloquence always makes for viral clips. When he argued in the Texas legislature three years ago against the law that has now come into force to force public schools to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms, Talarico, a Christian, showed his full rhetorical power. In a total of two minutes and nine seconds, he explained why, as a believing Christian, he believes that this bill is unconstitutional, un-American and un-Christian. Those 129 seconds were everywhere in a short period of time.

Talarico also shows his political skills at the election campaign rally in San Antonio. He seems authentic, he speaks to people on an equal level, and he makes it clear why he thinks Texas is better than the other 49 states in the USA: breakfast tacos, football and friendship. He particularly emphasizes friendship - which is also the official motto of Texas. Of course, he also discusses the ever-present topics such as cost of living and immigration policy (he always argues that the borders must be secure, but that society must be open and that the ICE terror must stop).

Talarico, who was raised by a single mother in the Texas capital Austin and who has been suffering from diabetes since 2018, sees another enemy in US politics: lots of money.

According to an analysis by AdImpact, both candidates have so far spent more than $500 million on election advertising - one of the most expensive election campaigns ever for a single Senate seat. Paxton is ahead by a ratio of 3:2. Billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk alone is said to have invested over 168 million in Republican interest groups in order to support Paxton.

Corruption in politics is something Talarico accuses both Republicans and Democrats of and something he wants to fight if he wins the election. It is one of the few statements in the current election campaign that recalls his past as a progressive, left-wing politician. Today he positions himself as a center-left candidate. Strategically, this is understandable, since left-wing candidates in a state like Texas have little chance in 2026.

No matter how the election turns out next week, James Talarico has arrived on the big stage of US politics.