{"id":208016,"date":"2026-03-17T08:17:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T08:17:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/208016\/"},"modified":"2026-03-17T08:17:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T08:17:20","slug":"texas-gop-chair-says-party-not-worried-about-james-talarico-in-texas-u-s-senate-race","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/208016\/","title":{"rendered":"Texas GOP chair says party not worried about James Talarico in Texas’ U.S. Senate race"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"Texas GOP Chairman Abraham George, left, speaks during a panel on Latino voters at SXSW\u2019s Axios House in Austin on Saturday. Credit: Sarah Gonzalez<\/p>\n

AUSTIN \u2014\u00a0Texas Republican Party Chairman Abraham George said his party isn\u2019t worried about the popularity of state Rep. James Talarico as the Austin Democrat prepares to face off against one of two GOP contenders in this fall\u2019s U.S. Senate race.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we were a lot more worried when Beto O\u2019Rourke ran,\u201d George said during a Saturday political discussion hosted by media outlet Axios at Austin\u2019s SXSW festival. \u201cI don\u2019t think James Talarico has the charisma that Beto could bring to the Democratic party.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some in the crowd responded with titters and looks of disbelief at George\u2019s remark. <\/p>\n

Indeed, the chairman\u2019s attempt to write off Talarico doesn\u2019t seem to line up with his own party\u2019s eagerness to lob online attacks at the charismatic contender. <\/p>\n

Ever since Talarico secured the Democratic nomination over U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, right-wingers have been sifting through social media posts and video<\/a> of the Presbyterian seminarian and former school teacher to dig up dirt. <\/p>\n

One such clip is an old speech on the Texas House floor in which Talarico declared, \u201cGod is nonbinary.\u201d Critics have also shared an old tweet in which Talarico said, \u201cRadicalized white men are the greatest domestic terrorist threat in our country.\u201d<\/p>\n

During a near-capacity crowd for a live recording of an episode of Vox Media\u2019s Raging Moderates podcast, Talarico said Republicans are largely taking old clips taken out of context.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooking back at some of these old statements from years ago, I would maybe word them differently or communicate them differently,\u201d Talarico said. \u201cBut, the values that I hold are still the same.\u201d<\/p>\n

U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, an Austin Democrat who also spoke one of Axios\u2019 gatherings, said Republicans should be concerned about Talarico, especially given his ability to connect with Latino voters and get them to the polls.<\/p>\n

\u201cJames Talarico went out there and campaigned on economic issues in those Latino communities,\u201d Casar said. \u201cI think he has the incredible potential to flip the state of Texas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"U.S. Rep. Greg Casar, D-Austin, speaks during a panel at SXSW in Austin on Saturday. Credit: Sarah Gonzales<\/p>\n

Even so, Casar acknowledged that Democrats dropped the ball when it came to Latino voters during the previous presidential election. In 2024, Trump flipped several Rio Grande Valley districts<\/a> long held by Democrats.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s since changed, however. During this spring\u2019s Democratic primary, Talarico pulled big numbers in every border district<\/a>, Casar noted. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe can unite working-class voters and all these Latino working-class voters that we lost last election if people know we\u2019re going to bring down prices and put money in their pockets,\u201d the congressman said.<\/p>\n

Talarico will face either Attorney General Ken Paxton or U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in the general, depending on who emerges from a heated GOP primary<\/a> that will be decided May 26.<\/p>\n

Sign Up for SA Current newsletters.<\/a><\/p>\n

Follow us:\u00a0Apple News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Google News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0NewsBreak<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Reddit<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook\u00a0<\/a>| Twitter<\/a>\u00a0| Or sign up for our\u00a0RSS Feed<\/a><\/p>\n

Related Stories<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Talarico\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tPresident Trump teased endorsing U.S. Sen. John Cornyn in the GOP runoff but hasn\u2019t yet done so. \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Senate\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tThe Democratic Texas rep also described the president\u2019s rhetoric that the war in Iran is \u2018short-term pain for long-term gain\u2019 as \u2018unconscionable.\u2019\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Sen.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tThe ad accuses the scandal-plagued Texas attorney general of breaking several of the 10 Commandments. \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\u200b<\/p>\n

\t