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U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico speaks at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in Houston on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026.<\/p>\n
Elizabeth Conley\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n
Attendees react as tjeulisten to U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico speak at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in Houston on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026.<\/p>\n
Elizabeth Conley\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n
Attendees line up to take photos with U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico after his speach at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in Houston on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026.<\/p>\n
Elizabeth Conley\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n
An attendee holds up their sign before hearing U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico speak at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in Houston on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026.<\/p>\n
Elizabeth Conley\/Houston Chronicle<\/p>\n
James Talarico ended his weekend in Houston on Sunday with a rally at one of the city\u2019s largest Black churches as he attempts to mobilize voters<\/a> who could push him over the edge <\/a>in his U.S. Senate race against Republican Ken Paxton.<\/p>\n A diverse crowd of several hundred people came out for Talarico\u2019s rally at the Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in Third Ward to hear the Democratic Senate nominee\u2019s pitch, which centered around affordability and unity.<\/p>\n Talarico enters the home stretch of the Senate race polling neck-and-neck with Paxton, the Texas attorney general, and Black voters are crucial to his hopes for a victory in November. A bitter primary against\u00a0U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett,\u00a0who had the backing of many Black leaders and voters, has left the Austin Democrat with ground to make up<\/a>.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n In his address on Sunday, Talarico said he would not take Black Texans, historically one of the state\u2019s most reliable Democratic voting blocs, for granted, noting that Texas is home to more Black people than any state in the country.<\/p>\n \u201cThat work of representing Black Texans doesn\u2019t start the day after Election Day, it starts now,\u201d Talarico said. \u201cThat is why we are listening to, investing in and showing up for Black communities all over this state.\u201d<\/p>\n READ MORE: James Talarico launches Black voter engagement team as questions linger over $25M pledge<\/a><\/p>\n Talarico’s last on-the-ground outreach <\/a>to Black\u00a0Houstonians, in July,\u00a0ended with a confrontation by an activist who accused him of dismissing Black Texans, though the tone of that event was otherwise far more amicable.\u00a0Polls conducted just before the primary showed roughly 80% of Black voters supporting Crockett<\/a>, and the Dallas congresswoman has so far declined to campaign for Talarico in the general election.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n But if there were any hard feelings at the Third Ward megachurch on Sunday, they weren\u2019t readily apparent. Multiple attendees who voted for Crockett in the primary said Talarico had their full backing against Paxton.<\/p>\n Bresean Cockrell, 44, said he was impressed with the way Talarico listened during difficult conversations with his Sunnyside neighbors at a campaign stop earlier this summer.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was uncomfortable at some points, but there were critical conversations that needed to take place,\u201d Cockrell said. \u201cI think he took it very well, and I genuinely think he wants to work to make things better.\u201d<\/p>\n Talrico’s Black outreach<\/p>\n Talarico has committed to spending more than $25 million of his $70 million war chest to reach Black voters, and he put some of that money to use this weekend.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n He hosted a back-to-school giveaway Saturday at Emancipation Park with legendary Houston DJ OG Ron C. On Sunday morning, he joined the Church Without Walls, another predominantly Black megachurch in the Cypress area, for their service.<\/p>\n