The backstory
It’s 2026, and the race for the U.S. Senate in Texas is heating up. Democratic nominee James Talarico is currently neck-and-neck with Republican nominee Ken Paxton, but an old clip from 2020 is making the rounds.
Back then, during the early days of the pandemic, Texas was staring down a massive $4.6 billion budget shortfall. With oil prices bottoming out and local businesses shuttered, state officials were scrambling to find revenue. In a podcast interview on the channel Texas Rising, Talarico took a hardline stance on how the state should handle the deficit. "I don't care where you get the revenue. I don't care what taxes you have to raise," he said at the time, arguing that cutting healthcare for the vulnerable during a global health crisis should be completely off the table.
The fallout
Fast forward to today, and that sentiment is giving Republicans plenty of ammo. RNC spokesperson Zach Kraft claimed Talarico’s history proves he’s not the moderate he claims to be, labeling him "High-tax Talarico" and suggesting he wants to use tax hikes to fund an expansive progressive agenda.
Talarico isn't backing down, though. His current campaign platform focuses on expanding Medicare and taxing the ultra-wealthy to provide relief for middle-class families. His team points out that he’s already supported significant property tax cuts in the state legislature, and they’ve hit back at his opponent, saying Paxton is more concerned with his own wealth than working families.
Why it matters
Texas is traditionally a GOP stronghold, but polls show a dead heat. With the Nov. 3 election just around the corner, Talarico is trying to thread a needle: he needs to hold his progressive base while convincing enough Republican-leaning voters that he isn't the tax-happy radical his opponents say he is. The plot thickens as both sides keep digging up old receipts to define the narrative. Lowkey, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
