“Means you\u2019re probably going to have to win by a little more than we would have to in a completely free and fair election,” Talarico said in a recent podcast interview.<\/p>\n
Talarico\u2019s posture towards Texas voting<\/a> laws reflects a broader Democratic belief that Republican dominance in the Lone Star State is due to low turnout brought on by election security measures rather than the state\u2019s conservative leanings \u2014 a theory that continues to drive long-running attempts to flip the state.<\/p>\n Despite having raised an impressive $40 million as of March, Talarico faces an uphill campaign against Republican candidate<\/a> Ken Paxton, the current Texas attorney general, who has widespread name recognition.<\/p>\n TEXAS MAP FIGHT ESCALATES AS JEFFRIES VOWS \u2018ALL OPTIONS\u2019 TO STOP GOP PLAN<\/a><\/p>\n James Talarico, a Democrat from Texas and US Senate candidate, speaks at a campaign event in Round Rock, Texas, U.S., on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. (Jordan Vonderhaar\/Bloomberg via Getty Images)<\/p>\n “We\u2019re going to have to overcome that. We\u2019re going to have to out-organize, out-work, out-hustle that voter suppression if we\u2019re going to win,” Talarico said.<\/p>\n In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic,<\/a> Texas passed a flurry of election-security bills.<\/p>\n Most notably, the legislature passed SB1,<\/a> a bill that requires voters to provide specific identification numbers to vote and to register to vote: either a Texas driver’s license, an election identification certificate or the last four digits of a Social Security<\/a> number.<\/p>\n It also banned drive-through voting and unsolicited mailing of ballot applications.<\/p>\n Talarico said he opposed<\/a> its passage as a state legislator.<\/p>\n “I will say that we already have a lot of voter suppression in Texas. It\u2019s baked into our laws. I\u2019ve fought fiercely against many of those laws when they were coming through the legislature,” Talarico said.<\/p>\n “Texas is one of the hardest places to vote in the country as a result. It\u2019s why we see such low voter turnout in our state compared to other states,” Talarico said.<\/p>\n RED STATE AG INVESTIGATING MORE THAN 30 POTENTIAL NONCITIZENS WHO VOTED IN 2024 ELECTION<\/a><\/p>\n Democratic Texas State Rep. James Talarico speaks during a campaign launch rally in Round Rock, Texas, on Sept. 9, 2025. (Brandon Bell\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n Although it\u2019s true that Texas ranks in the bottom five states for voter turnout, the 56.6% of voters that cast a ballot in the last presidential election was greater than turnout in 2016, 2012 and 2004, according to data from the United States Election Project.<\/a> Similarly, the 41.8% participation in the 2022 midterms exceeded levels from 2014, 2010, 2006 and 2002.<\/p>\n Talarico\u2019s campaign did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n To at least one GOP strategist, Talarico\u2019s concern over turnout comes at the expense of his prioritization of election security.<\/p>\n “James Talarico wants illegal aliens to vote<\/a> in our elections,” Zach Kraft, a Republican National Committee spokesperson, told Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n “While Talarico puts illegals first, Ken Paxton will continue to put Texans first by working with President Trump<\/a> to get the SAVE America Act signed into law and ensure foreign citizens never vote in American elections,” Kraft said, referring to the national voter integrity bill championed by Republicans in Congress.<\/p>\n Notably, as a state legislator, Talarico also voted against a bill that increased state penalties<\/a> for illegal aliens voting in Texas elections from a Class A misdemeanor to a second-degree felony.<\/p>\n TRUMP COMPARES DEM SENATE CANDIDATE TO FRECKLE-FACED CARTOON CHARACTER, PROMISES TO CAMPAIGN FOR PAXTON<\/a><\/p>\n Texas Senate candidate James Talarico urged voters to reduce meat consumption in a 2022 clip that went viral on Tuesday. (Mark Felix\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"James](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/james-talarico-and-voters.jpg\")
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