Texas Democrat James Talarico pitches abortion rights and faith ahead of key Senate race

As voters in Texas head to the polls on Tuesday for the Republican runoff, Democratic state Rep. and U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico doubled down on his agenda, reminding residents of the issues he is working to address. Democrats have not held a statewide seat in Texas since 1994, but races have become increasingly tight over the last decade, and Talarico seems to be the greatest hope for the party.

With the race of the U.S. Senate primary heating up between the state's Attorney General Ken Paxton, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump, and John Cornyn, the incumbent, Talarico took the opportunity to spread his message. Speaking on Jamie Kern Lima's podcast, Talarico expressed that he trusts Texas women to make decisions about their own bodies and believes abortion should not be a government decision.  

Talarico, the Democratic state representative, is set to face the winner of the Republican primary in the mid-term elections that could determine control of the Senate. Paxton and Cornyn were engaged in a bitter battle with over $100 million spent on the election campaign; all eyes are on Tuesday's polls, which could arguably seal the fate of the Senate seat, according to Newsweek. While Trump has fiercely backed Paxton, experts suggest that his win will make Talarico's campaign more viable, as he would likely fare better against him. 

Republican strategist Mike Madrid told the publication that the political environment in Texas has fundamentally shifted in the Democrats' favor, and that several factors could help a Democrat win a statewide race there for the first time in 32 years. "I think the chances of the Democrats winning in Texas are better now than they've been in 25 years," Madrid told Newsweek. "You have to have a favorable political environment for the Democrats. You have to have a remarkable Democratic candidate with crossover appeal, and they have that. And the third is you have to have a remarkably damaged Republican candidate, and they have that," he added. 

Paxton is the Republican attorney general of Texas, who was praised by the President in a lengthy post on Truth Social. He has been a longtime Trump ally, voting in favor of 99% of his policies, showing his commitment to the President. However, in the past, Paxton has been involved in several controversies, as he has survived an impeachment by the Texas Legislature, gone through a biblically-charged divorce, and faced a decade of securities fraud charges, while becoming a multimillionaire during his time in public office, according to The Barbed Wire. Furthermore, Paxton has used the Texas Attorney General’s Office to bring lawsuits against a flurry of local businesses, doctors, tech companies, and local school districts, which gained him a negative reputation in the state. Thus, while his strong support for Trump may win him the votes of core GOP supporters, his past is likely to tip the votes of independents in favor of the Democrats.