James Talarico Ignored Party ‘Retreads’

The New Yorker profiles Texas U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico (D):

In May, the former Senate candidate Beto O’Rourke convened a Zoom meeting with Congressman Joaquin Castro, former congressman Colin Allred, and Talarico, to discuss assembling a statewide slate with strong Democratic candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, and attorney general. Talarico was seen as a potential gubernatorial candidate who could distract Greg Abbott, the powerful incumbent. As one person familiar with the discussion said: “I don’t know if it was exactly like ‘Here’s our sacrificial Talarico lamb for governor’—but pretty much.”

Instead, Talarico argued that his youth and his legislative experience made him better equipped to be a senator. “I told them the fact that I was new, and different, and had no D.C. connection was a huge advantage. They were all retreads—which I said lovingly.”

O’Rourke was nonplussed: “I told him, ‘If you end up being the guy who runs for Senate against the Republican machine, you will want friends on that ticket.’ ” Instead, “James came in, like, ‘I don’t care what you guys are doing with your little huddle. Fuck all y’all, I’m doing this.’ He blew everything up in his excitement to make the case for himself.” O’Rourke called Castro afterward and said, “What the fuck?”

But he also said: “You’re not going to win in this game unless you’re really fucking confident.”