<\/p>\n
James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, with State Rep. Ron Reynolds, right, meet with owners of Mikki’s Soul Food Cafe on Blodgett on Tuesday, June 30, 2026.<\/p>\n
Joy Sewing<\/p>\n
The lunchtime crowd was long gone by the time\u00a0James Talarico walked through the doors of Mikki’s Soul Food Cafe on\u00a0Blodgett Street.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The empty restaurant served a purpose as the backdrop of a grassroots campaign stop. The Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate race dropped in to make his case to voters in Third Ward, one of Houston’s historically Black neighborhoods.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Their votes will matter. Polls show Talarico\u00a0will need significant support from the Black community<\/a> to defeat Republican nominee Ken Paxton. No Democrat has won a U.S. Senate seat in Texas in over 30 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n After Talarico ordered a plate of smothered chicken, two side dishes and a dessert to go, he sat down with state Rep. Ron Reynolds, D-Missouri City, to talk with the restaurant owners and a handful of neighborhood folks and take photos. It was a small, impromptu meeting that itself may have been a missed opportunity.\u00a0<\/p>\n TO HOUSTON, WITH JOY:\u00a0A newsletter for a city that’s never simple<\/a><\/p>\n Mikki’s Soul Food Cafe was a fitting place to meet with stakeholders who have questions and concerns about how\u00a0Talarico will represent Houston and the Black community here.<\/p>\n Ideally,\u00a0Talarico would have connected with Third Ward\u00a0civic groups, church leaders, small business owners and even college students from nearby Texas Southern University. <\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Unfortunately, there were not enough of those voters at the event.<\/p>\n Polls\u00a0have Talarico tied<\/a> in the race with\u00a0Paxton. But since his victory over U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the March Democratic primary, there have been persistent questions whether the Austin lawmaker can win over the Black vote.\u00a0Talarico, a former middle school teacher and seminarian, has leaned on progressive politics rooted in his Christian faith both on social media and the campaign trail.\u00a0<\/p>\n After the stop at\u00a0Mikki\u2019s last week, Talarico was featured on radio station 93.7 The Beat, where he took questions and talked about the importance of outreach to the Black community.<\/p>\n In other recent Houston-area appearances, Talarico\u00a0attended a Black Leaders Brunch in Houston in April, was interviewed on KCOH Radio in May with host Jerri P. Beasley, and visited Prairie View A&M University where he spoke with student leaders and university President Michael\u00a0Sorrell.<\/p>\n \u200b\u201cThere is no way to win Texas without Black voters,\u201d Talarico told the crowd in an interview<\/a> at Prairie View.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Voter turnout in November is crucial. Harris County has had a poor voting record for years, though there have been signs of momentum. In May, the county recorded the highest midterm primary turnout in its history, according to the Harris County Clerk’s Office.\u00a0<\/p>\n Letitia Plummer, a dentist and the Democratic nominee for Harris County Judge, said she met with Talarico<\/a> and his team during the Democratic Party’s state convention in Corpus Christi in June. Plummer herself won narrowly against former Houston Mayor Annise Parker in a May runoff.\u00a0<\/p>\n “I do believe that he\u00a0wants to earn the Black vote and that he realizes it’s not Jasmine’s responsibility to get him the Black vote. I just think that he needs somewhat of a listening session,” Plummer said.\u00a0<\/p>\n She said\u00a0Talarico has identified maternal mortality among his priorities as Harris County has one of the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the nation, with Black women facing the highest pregnancy-related death rates<\/a> in the country from 2016 through 2020. She noted there are many critical issues beyond that one.\u00a0<\/p>\n