Rising star James Talarico is doing it differently, and even in the deep red state of Texas, it’s working.
Instead of feeding into the usual anti-trans fearmongering, the Democratic darling is pulling back the curtain on who really stands to gain by stepping on trans rights: Tr*mp-aligned politicians.
Politics, but make it gay!
Stay woke with our briefing while staying informed on all things LGBTQ+ entertainment, life, and more!
Subscribe to our Newsletter today
“I don’t think we win by selling people out. And we’re refusing to do that in this campaign,” Talarico told MS Now on Monday. “This is a campaign of, by, and for all Texans. And I think people are really tired of these culture war fights that are designed to tear us apart, designed to get us angry.”
Ken Paxton, meanwhile, is thrilled to keep people angry and ignorant. But sadly for Talarico’s Tr*mp-endorsed opponent, it’s a short-sighted strategy. Because what do you mean ex-Republican moms are coming out in droves to support Talarico?
In a video recently shared by the Talarico Team TikTok (say that 10 times fast!), a group of conservative women talk about their reasons for making the switch, and it’s starting to sound a lot like what happened when Obama was able to flip disillusioned conservatives in 2008.
“I like him,” one woman says. “He was a middle school teacher in public school in Texas, and they started cutting all his funding… he said, ‘if I can’t change my school, I need to change my state.’”
If “hope” was Obama’s driving keyword in 2008, “change” might well be Talarico’s. Unlike establishment Republicans playing Tr*mp’s game, Talarico is interested in positive change, and voters are responding.
“I want a middle school teacher saying ‘hey this is broken, somebody needs to fix it, why not me?’” One of the women says.
“I think Republicans are having a lot of moments like that where we’re saying, ‘this is not what I signed up for,’” another woman explains. “Give me somebody who’s not extremist.”
What Republicans saw as the promise of Tr*mp as a non-establishment figure in 2016 has since become a liability. Today, they’re interested in somebody who represents actual systemic change.
These moms aren’t the only ones who are seeing Talarico’s appeal in that area. This week, the Texas rep. slid ahead of Ken Paxton in the polls.
“When was the last time a Democratic candidate was leading in a Senate race in Texas?” asks CNN Chief Data Analyst Harry Enten in a recent video. “You have to go all the way back…to 1988.”
While some call Talarico’s polling lead a “pipe dream,” it’s enough to freak out the GOP, especially since Talarico is doing well with the “critical” independent voting bloc, as well as the Latino vote. In the last election, Tr*mp carried the Latino vote in Texas. In light of his team’s violent ICE raids, that’s a mistake Hispanic voters likely won’t be making again with Paxton.
No matter what happens on November 3, Talarico is already giving Paxton a run for his money. To bring things full circle, he’s crediting his mother, a “preacher’s daughter from Laredo, Texas” for his success.
Talarico’s mother left home at 19 only to meet a violent man and become pregnant with his child. Shortly after giving birth, she cut ties with her abuser and raised her son as a single mother.
“My mom was a fighter, she taught me to stand up to bullies,” Talarico says. “That’s what I’ve done in the Texas legislature…and that’s exactly what I want to do in the US Senate.”
Related
Jon Ossoff’s raging BDE has Republicans in a panic spiral
Last week, a TMZ reporter surprised Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff with a very out-of-pocket statement. “A lot of people have been saying that you’ve got BDE,” the Australian commentator said, fetching a wry smile from the Democratic 2028 hopeful. We all know what he was talking about, but there’s another kind of BDE that Ossoff […]
Sign up for the Queerty newsletter to stay on top of the hottest stories in LGBTQ+ entertainment, politics, and culture.
