On March 4, James Talarico, state lawmaker and seminarian, won the Texas Democratic primary for US Senate over Representative Jasmine Crockett with approximately 52% of the vote. In November, Talarico will face either incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn or Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for the Senate seat, depending on the results of their runoff on May 26. Talarico’s victory was made possible by support from a wide coalition of voters that includes progressives, independents, moderates, anti-Trump Republicans, and young people. What made this uniquely broad range of support achievable in such a polarized political environment was Talarico’s campaign strategy that was rooted in a message of love over anger and grounded in his Christian faith.
Virtually unknown on the national stage only months ago, Talarico has become somewhat of a political success story overnight after his appearances on podcasts and late night shows (especially his interview with Stephen Colbert) have gone viral for his condemnation of Christian nationalism, focus on reclaiming Christianity from the right, and economic populism. An eighth-generation Texan and former public middle-school teacher, Talarico is uniquely positioned to appeal to working-class Texans experiencing economic anxieties and anger with billionaire control of the government. Central to Talarico’s political identity is his background as a Presbyterian seminarian, as he was on his way to becoming a minister before deciding to pause his studies and run for Senate. Talarico has consistently put his faith at the forefront of his campaign, combining biblical references with arguments against political corruption, economic injustice, and partisan division.
A self-described progressive Democrat, Talarico’s rare optimistic and inclusive campaigning style was key to exciting Democrats across the state and helped him win the primary. Despite being perceived as the “moderate” candidate compared to his opponent Ms. Crockett, Talarico won over large swaths of young progressives like college students. Even so, he also earned the votes of white, educated, and affluent communities that are often pitted against these progressive strongholds. Latinos were another key demographic that helped secure Talarico’s victory. He won the Texas counties with the highest shares of Latino voters by wide margins, likely because of his message of faith and political moderation. This victory was especially notable because Latinos are a demographic that have shifted right in the past elections in Texas, and one that Democrats are trying to make gains with.
Not only has Talarico earned the support of a broad range of Democratic voters, but he has also made inroads with disaffected Republicans. Talarico has consistently made an effort to bring his message to conservative media and audiences, such as Fox News and The Joe Rogan Experience. On Rogan’s podcast, Talarico’s condemnation of Christian nationalism and call to fight against the influence of wealth and power in politics was so compelling that Rogan suggested he “run for president.” As Talarico campaigned across the state leading up to the primary, he urged bitterly divided Democrats to welcome Republicans into their coalition. Talarico hoped that his call for love and optimism for the future would be enough to rise above the violently polarized era we are living in, and it appears that it has been successful so far.
Compared to many other Democrats’ usual lines of attack against President Trump and the Republican Party, Talarico’s campaign strategically never centered his message on opposition towards Trump, even as he made it clear that he disagreed with many of his policies and actions. This stands in contrast to Ms. Crockett, who is known for her willingness to clap back against the MAGA movement with fiery insults and criticism. Talarico’s ability to strike a balance between criticism of the Trump administration, and an emphasis on compassion and faith-based politics, is precisely what makes his candidacy so promising for the Democratic Party’s chances at turning Texas blue for the first time since 1994. Rather than run on a traditional “left vs. right” platform, Talarico has repeatedly reminded Texas voters that the country’s division is instead a matter of “top vs. bottom.”
“The real fight in this country is not left versus right,” Mr. Talarico said at a campaign stop in Austin. “It’s top versus bottom.”
On the morning of March 4, Ms. Crockett conceded victory to Mr. Talarico, emphasizing party unity as the only way to move forward and successfully challenge Texas Republicans. Many Democrats in Texas and across the country are optimistic about Talarico’s odds at beating his Republican opponent in November, particularly if that opponent is Paxton. Talarico has claimed that winning the Senate race will require three things, one of which is competing against “the right Republican opponent,” referring to Paxton because of his controversial past legal troubles.
A victory for Cornyn in the runoff on May 26 does not necessarily mean that Talarico’s odds of winning the Senate are crushed, but it will present more of a challenge for the Democratic Party. Other Democrats worry about Talarico’s ability to win over the Black voters that turned out strongly for Ms. Crockett, and Talarico has urged them to accept him as their next best choice. Only time will tell as to whether or not Talarico will ultimately come out on top in the Senate race in November, but his growing popularity and powerful message of love and unity over hate offer a promising opportunity for the future of the Democratic Party in Texas.
