Talarico courts Black voters to boost chances against Paxton in Texas Senate race
James Talarico is intensifying outreach to Black voters after a contentious primary, seeking their support to challenge Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, who narrowly beat Rep. Jasmine Crockett in a primary marked by accusations of racism, is now focusing on winning over Texas’s Black electorate, a group of nearly 3 million voters. He earned the endorsement of the Congressional Black Caucus Political Action Committee and expanded his outreach staff, adding three operatives and three firms, one run by former Obama communications director Bill Burton.
High-profile figures such as former Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Barack Obama have publicly backed Talarico, though Crockett, despite endorsing him after the primary, says she will not appear on his campaign trail. Polls indicate Talarico leads Attorney General Ken Paxton among Black voters by a large margin, while a Texas Southern University poll shows minimal voter disengagement after the primary. His success with Black voters could be decisive in a race where he also hopes to attract moderate Republicans.
Why it matters
Black voter support could determine whether a Democrat can unseat a powerful Republican incumbent in Texas.
How this story developed
- Aug 17 Midterm outlook shifts as key Senate and governor contests turn competitive
- Sep 1 Lone Star Liberty PAC committed $15 million to a new television advertising campaign for Paxton.
- Sep 1 Speaker Mike Johnson said he met with Elon Musk in an effort to secure financial support for Republican candidates ahead of the midterm elections.
- Sep 2 A poll shows Talarico at 44.0% and Paxton at 43.4% among likely voters.
- Sep 4 The America PAC filing listed independent expenditures in multiple 2026 races.
- Sep 7 MAGA Inc. filed an FEC report showing a new advertising purchase for the Texas Senate contest.
- Sep 10 Donald Trump announced a promise to give every American adult a $5,000 payment if Republicans keep the House and Senate, a plan that would require congressional approval and cost over $1 trillion.
- Sep 10 Several GOP lawmakers publicly questioned the feasibility and fiscal impact of the dividend.
- Sep 11 Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa voiced support for a universal $5,000 payout while insisting it should not be conditioned on the midterm results.
- Sep 11 Analysts reclassified the contest as a toss‑up with Talarico outspending Paxton by roughly seven‑fold.
- Sep 13 Senator John Cornyn publicly rebuked Bo French, the Republican nominee for Texas Railroad Commissioner, after French posted a racially charged comment about South Asian students at a University of Texas football game.
- Sep 14 Rep. Mike Lawler said a funding source must be identified for the proposed payout.
- Sep 18 Cornyn has not yet decided whether to support the Democratic challenger or abstain.
- Sep 18 Donald Trump publicly endorsed Ken Paxton for the Senate.
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