James Talarico enters race for US Senate
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, officially announced his run for the U.S. Senate early Tuesday morning, entering a crowded Democratic primary vying for the statewide position.
Talarico, a former middle school teacher, has been vocal in the Texas House of Representatives about issues concerning education and religion. The four-term state representative was critical of Gov. Greg Abbott’s push to create an education savings account in Texas, a program that gives families public dollars to send their kids to private schools.
The state representative also participated in the Texas House Democrats’ quorum break during the first special session of 2025.
In his Tuesday announcement, the 36-year-old Talarico said he wants to “take power back for working people.”
“The biggest divide in our country is not left vs right — it’s top vs bottom. Billionaire mega-donors and their puppet politicians have taken over our state and our country, rigging the system for themselves,” Talarico said in his statement. “This is an underdog fight. We’re going up against the political establishment, and we’re going up against a lot of money. Big Money is powerful, but it’s nothing compared to people power.”
He announced his launch at an outdoor venue near downtown Round Rock, his hometown. More than 1,500 people showed up holding black and white “Talarico for Texas” signs. The new Senate candidate said his campaign raised more than $1 million in the past 12 hours since the announcement.
Talarico will face off against former U.S. Congressman Colin Allred and Houston astronaut Terry Virts.
Allred also issued a statement Tuesday morning in response to Talarico’s announcement. In it, he said he’s “never taken anything for granted in life or politics.”
“I know why I’m running: to lower costs, tackle the affordability crisis head-on, and stop corrupt politicians like John Cornyn and Ken Paxton from rigging the system to make life more expensive for hardworking Texans. For the next 14 months, my focus will be on meeting with and listening to Texas families — all across our state — to build the diverse coalition we need to win,” Allred said.
Talarico is scheduled to hold a campaign kick-off event Tuesday night in Round Rock, his hometown.