From credit card interest rates to canceling medical debt, Talarico launches economic proposals a day after GOP rival Paxton unveiled his own ideas.

ARLINGTON, Texas — James Talarico’s event in Arlington, clearly weeks in the works, looked like a set for a national political convention as the Democratic U.S. Senate nominee made his first big policy announcement and addressed affordability.

“We are getting screwed,” Talarico told an audience of 1,300 at the Esports Stadium in Arlington. “Whether you’re a little more conservative or a little more progressive — we’re all getting screwed.”



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Talarico laid out a number of policy proposals to address affordability, including canceling medical debt, repealing tax breaks for the wealthiest one percent and giving cuts to the middle class, and providing down payment assistance for first-time home buyers.

“It’s also time to cap sky-high credit card interest rates,” he added.

To pay for his proposals, Talarico said: “We can do it by closing tax loopholes, cracking down on tax cheats and ending forever wars that send billions of our tax dollars overseas.”

Former Tarrant County Judge Glenn Whitley, a lifelong Republican, surprised the Talarico supporters and endorsed the Democrat tonight.

A poll from Texas Southern University this week has Talarico leading the race for U.S. Senate against Republican Ken Paxton, 47% to 45%.

That is a rare position for a Texas Democrat, but it is the third survey in the last 10-days with Talarico in the lead.

“You’ve got to pull together 60 or so percent of independents, and then you’ve got to pull over a little bit of soft Republicans. That’s where he is,” explained Matt Angle, a Democratic consultant who runs the Lone Star Project. “I usually say that it’s a knife fight uphill for Democrats. Well, it’s a knife fight, but we’re on even ground now.”

But Talarico was on the defensive Wednesday after the Texas Tribune reported that he voted in five elections using his parents’ address rather than his own. That is particularly notable because Talarico has attacked Paxton for something similar.

“After falsely accusing Ken Paxton of voter fraud, the truth is that James Talarico was the only one committing fraud. This revelation should not come as a surprise because Talarico is on record saying he opposes voter ID. He clearly doesn’t care about fair and just voter laws,” the Paxton campaign said in a statement.

Talarico did not take questions from reporters after his rally in Arlington, but his campaign spokesman addressed the new reporting.

“This is a lame attempt by Ken Paxton to deflect from his own hypocrisy and career of corruption,” said J.T. Ennis, Talarico’s press secretary. “Given Ken Paxton’s history of weaponizing his office to conduct baseless witch hunts — and the credible threats made by right-wing actors trying to track down the whereabouts of James and his family — our campaign will not enable this any further.”

Talarico and Paxton are trying to center the attention of Texas voters on their new proposals to address affordability.

Paxton announced his last night in Allen and then spent Wednesday in Houston rallying supporters on the city’s near north side.

Talarico is now taking his economic proposals to ten cities across Texas; next stops include Conroe, Pasadena, and Port Arthur.