Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico takes a photo Friday with Sylvia Lagos at the Hispanic Caucus during the state Democratic convention in Corpus Christi.
Katina Zentz/San Antonio Express-News
CORPUS CHRISTI – James Talarico used the Texas Democratic convention Friday to first mend party divisions, then begin making his case to the Republicans and independents he needs to win the Senate race in November.
Talarico spent hours meeting with Black Democrats and other key constituencies before a planned evening speech accusing GOP Senate rival Ken Paxton of putting billionaire donors and himself ahead of Texas.
Delegates cheer Rep. James Talarico during his visit Friday with Hispanic Caucus at the Texas Democratic Convention at the Hilliard Center in Corpus Christi.
Katina Zentz/San Antonio Express-News
The James Talarico booth at the Texas Democratic Convention in Corpus Christi.
Katina Zentz/San Antonio Express-News
“These new tyrants had to buy our state to find politicians willing to do their bidding. That’s why they picked Ken Paxton,” Talarico said in a rehearsal session monitored by reporters.
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The planned speech marked Talarico’s clearest effort yet to explain how he believes Democrats can end their three-decade statewide losing streak, portraying Paxton as a threat that should unite Texans across party lines.
“Republicans know just as well as Democrats that there’s no place for guys like Ken Paxton in Texas,” Talarico planned to say, pointing to the bipartisan Texas House vote in 2023 to impeach the attorney general on misconduct allegations. The state Senate later acquitted him.
Throughout his planned remarks, Talarico, a state representative from Austin, sought to wrap his campaign in Texas history.
He traced his family’s roots to Elijah Stapp, an ancestor who signed the Texas Declaration of Independence, and described his mother’s decision to leave an abusive relationship as her own declaration of independence.
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Both stories, he said, reflected a Texas tradition of standing up to tyranny.
“Texans don’t like tyrants, and we don’t surrender easily,” he planned to say.
Talarico outlined a campaign dedicated to lowering the cost of living, strengthening public schools, improving healthcare and restoring trust in government. He said Texans have been left behind by politicians more focused on partisan battles than everyday concerns.
“They’ve been shrinking Texas for three decades now,” Talarico planned to say. “But that ends this year in this election in November. We’ll make Texas big again, we’ll make Texas friendly again, we’ll make Texas Texas again.”
At the Republican convention earlier this month, Paxton slammed Talarico as an out-of-touch liberal, attacking his past comments on Christianity, race and gender and warning that Democrats were trying to remake Texas with a progressive agenda.
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Talarico contrasted Paxton with Sam Houston, the first president of the Republic of Texas, who refused to swear loyalty to the Confederacy and was removed from office.
“What would Sam Houston, who put Texas before himself, think about Ken Paxton, who puts himself before Texas?” Talarico asked.
Paxton has faced years of legal and ethical allegations, all of which he has denied.
Talarico also took aim at Paxton’s personal history, noting that the Republican nominee was born in North Dakota, raised in California and owns a home in Hawaii before saying that being a Texan depends on values rather than birthplace.
“I believe anyone can be a Texan,” he said. “What makes a Texan is not in the boots or the truck, it’s deep in the heart.”
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Closing ranks
Earlier in the day, Talarico focused on shoring up support inside his own party.
One of his most closely watched stops Friday came before the party’s Black Caucus, where some activists say he still has work to do after defeating U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas in the March Democratic Senate primary.
Crockett skipped the convention after saying she plans to spend the fall helping candidates in other races rather than actively campaigning for Talarico.
Talarico did not mention Crockett’s name when he spoke to the party’s caucus. Some Black delegates said it was time to move beyond the primary, and it was up to Talarico to turn out voters, not Crockett or other surrogates.
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“For too long, let’s be very honest, the Democratic Party has had a troubling history of taking Black voters for granted,” Talarico told the caucus. “I am committing to you to not make those mistakes.”
He pledged to “invest in and fight for the votes of every Black Texan.”
“We desperately need a senator who’s going to fight for Black Texans,” he said. “I’m looking forward to doing that work alongside all of you.”
Talarico was warmly received by most delegates. Some gave him a standing ovation. Others remained seated but appeared receptive to his speech.
Frederick Nickens, chairman of the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats, acknowledged lingering feelings before introducing Talarico at the caucus meeting.
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“I know you all have some feelings about it,” Nickens said. “We’re going to be respectful.”
State Sen. Royce West of Dallas called Talarico’s remarks “a good start” and said he expected the nominee to continue building relationships with Black voters over the coming months.
Others said they wanted more.
“It needed to be more personal because a lot of us didn’t vote for him and we’re still feeling that and what we need he isn’t giving to us,” said Chaka Terrell, a Mesquite delegate and Army veteran. “He needs to feel our pain and understand that our needs are unique.”
Dallas County Democratic Party Chairman Kardal Coleman said he hoped Talarico would hit his stride with Black voters after the convention.
He said Talarico’s campaign should have a diverse staff and a financial commitment to Black voter outreach.
“We’ve had enough talking,” Coleman said. “The clock is ticking toward November, and members of the caucus have laid out exactly what they want to see from the campaign that we haven’t seen just yet.”
Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico speaks Friday at the Hispanic Caucus Texas Democratic Convention at the Hilliard Center in Corpus Christi.
Katina Zentz/San Antonio Express-News
Expanding the map
Talarico carried the same message to Latino delegates, organized labor and Asian American and Pacific Islander Democrats. He said Democrats can end three decades of statewide losses only by building a coalition that extends beyond the party’s traditional base.
“We are going to end 30 years of one-party rule in this state,” he told Latino delegates. “We’re going to be with you every step of the way as we win voters across Texas and flip this Senate seat.”
“I can’t tell you the number of people who come up to me at the end of these events and whisper, ‘I’m not a Democrat,’ like they’re in the witness protection program,” Talarico said at several caucus stops.
He told delegates he could feel something historic in the works.
“I know it’s not going to be easy, but I am confident,” Talarico said. “I feel it in my bones that together we are going to win this race in November, and we’re going to change American politics in the process.”