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James Talarico Is Flooding the Airwaves in Texas

August 30, 2026 · 1:09 pm ET · Leave a Comment

Wall Street Journal: “The Talarico campaign is still considered a long shot in red Texas, but the candidate is giving Democrats hope that they can fulfill the elusive dream of winning statewide office there for the first time since the 1990s. Race raters at Fox News, Cook Political Report and The Center for Politics all recently have moved the contest from ‘leans R’ to ‘tossup.'”

“Throughout August, Talarico has been on offense. His ads are ubiquitous in the state, thanks to his fundraising advantage, and have included digs against Paxton including one accusing his opponent of stealing a $1,000 pen. His campaign recently hired a top aide to Republican Sen. John Cornyn, whom Paxton defeated in a tight primary.”

2026 Campaign, State House

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Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire -- which for more than two decades has been one of the nation's most influential political news sites.

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