In San Marcos, a small city south of Austin, a Democratic candidate who once seemed a long shot in Texas told a crowd that he was a slingshot against a field of giants. Behind that image lies a story that is as old as American democracy itself: an ordinary voter's hope set against enormous concentrations of wealth, in a state that has long been a Republican fortress. The race between James Talarico and Ken Paxton now carries more than one state's worth of meaning, because whoever prevails will shape whether the final years of Donald Trump's term are governed by his allies or contested by a new
Talarico Casts Texas Senate Bid as David vs. Goliath as GOP Spending Tops $158M
"You are my slingshot," he told a packed San Marcos crowd.
Mark
Why does the David and Goliath line matter so much here?
Mimi
Because it turns a money disadvantage into a story. Talarico is up against $158 million from Musk through the Senate Leadership Fund, and he answers with a crowd rather than a counter-number.
Luke
Worth being careful with the numbers, though. The filings show Musk gave $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which gave $158 million to a Texas PAC. That's one pipeline of money, not necessarily $158 million of new spending on top of it.
Mark
So the headline figure could be a bit slippery?
Luke
The reporting presents it as outside spending against Talarico, but the filings describe money flowing toward a PAC backing Paxton. I'd read the total as what the filings show, not a precise ad-buy tally.
Mimi
And Talarico himself didn't name Musk on stage. The framing was about Goliaths in general.
Mark
What about the claim that he's a real contender now?
Luke
That's the reporting's characterization. It cites his fundraising lead over Paxton and voter wariness, but offers no polling numbers. We don't know how close it actually is.
Mimi
The rally crowd gives a flavor, though. Kaitlyn Johnson talked about housing costs, which is exactly the affordability pitch he's making.
Luke
One bartender at one rally is texture, not a trend.
Mark
And the flu absence?
Mimi
Nine days out of sight, and a false rumor about an Ohio treatment center spread quickly before it fell apart.
O Pulso
- Over $158 million in outside money, much of it traced to Elon Musk through Republican-linked groups, is pouring into the race against Talarico.
- Talarico's own campaign has outraised Paxton, turning a race that was expected to be easy for Republicans into a genuine contest.
- Voters, especially younger ones, are rallying around affordability and anger at billionaires, while Paxton's past corruption questions keep his footing uncertain.
- Talarico is crisscrossing the state from metro areas to border towns to the high plains, with the outcome still unsettled and the spending and turnout battles intensifying in the final weeks.
In San Marcos, a small city south of Austin, a Democratic candidate who once seemed a long shot in Texas told a crowd that he was a slingshot against a field of giants. Behind that image lies a story that is as old as American democracy itself: an ordinary voter's hope set against enormous concentrations of wealth, in a state that has long been a Republican fortress. The race between James Talarico and Ken Paxton now carries more than one state's worth of meaning, because whoever prevails will shape whether the final years of Donald Trump's term are governed by his allies or contested by a new Senate majority.
At a packed rally in San Marcos on Thursday night, James Talarico told supporters that the biblical David may not have had Goliath's strength, but he had a slingshot. "You are my slingshot," the Democratic Senate candidate said. "We are going up against our own Goliaths." He did not mention Elon Musk or the money being spent against him, though that money is considerable. Federal filings showed Musk gave $158 million to a Republican-tied Senate group, which then sent the same sum to a Texas PAC that is the largest backer of his opponent, Ken Paxton.
Talarico, a state representative and seminarian, has framed the race not as left against right but as the ultrawealthy against everyone else. His campaign has raised record sums and outraised Paxton, even as outside money floods the airwaves for Paxton. Once seen as another Democrat who would fade on Election Day, he is now treated as a real contender, partly because voters are wary of Paxton, who was impeached by his own party in the Texas legislature and later acquitted.
At the rally, which drew many young voters, Talarico argued that high prices come from billionaires and corrupt politicians rigging the system. Kaitlyn Johnson, a 29-year-old bartender, said it resonated with what she had long sensed. "I make decent money," she said, "but there's no way in hell that I'm going to be able to buy a house anytime soon."
The race matters well beyond Texas, since its result may decide which party controls the Senate for Trump's last two years. With the campaign in its final weeks, the spending totals and turnout will tell the story.
Under bright lights at a packed rally in San Marcos, a small city south of Austin, James Talarico told supporters on Thursday night that the biblical David may not have had Goliath's strength, but he had a slingshot. "You are my slingshot," the Democratic Senate candidate said. "We are going up against our own Goliaths." He did not mention Elon Musk or the money being spent against him.
The money is considerable. Federal campaign spending filings released Thursday showed that Musk, the world's richest man, contributed $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund. That group, tied to Republican leadership, gave $158 million to a Texas PAC that is the largest contributor to the campaign of Talarico's opponent, Ken Paxton. Musk also put $10 million into Lone Star Liberty PAC, another group supporting Paxton. Musk headed President Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency last year.
The David framing fits how Talarico has described politics throughout the race: not as left against right, but as the ultrawealthy against everyone else. He is a state representative and a seminarian, and he is trying to become the first Democrat to win statewide in Texas in more than 30 years. His own campaign has raised record sums in one of the country's most expensive and competitive Senate contests, and it has outraised Paxton's even as outside spending for Paxton floods the state's airwaves.
The perception of the race has shifted over recent months. Talarico was first viewed as the latest in a string of Democrats who raised hopes of flipping Texas, only to see them fade on Election Day. Now he is regarded as a real contender. Part of that traces to voter wariness about Paxton, who has faced questions about corruption, including impeachment by his own party in the Texas legislature. He was later acquitted. Trump has made several trips to Texas to rally for Paxton, and Republicans appear well aware of both Talarico's appeal and Paxton's difficulty gaining traction in what would normally be an easy race for the party.
Talarico has walked a careful, deliberately nonpartisan path across the state: through major metro areas that already lean Democratic, along border towns that flipped from blue to red in the last election, and into the Republican high plains and desert. He has distanced himself from former President Joe Biden's administration and from his own party. Sen. Bernie Sanders is coming to Texas this month, but he will not share a stage with Talarico.
His central message is affordability, aimed at the costs voters say have climbed for years. At the rally, which drew many younger voters, Talarico argued that prices are high because billionaires and corrupt politicians have rigged the system. It landed with Kaitlyn Johnson, a 29-year-old bartender in the crowd. "They think that they can buy us, and that they can essentially be the kings of the country," she said. She felt he gave voice to something she had sensed for a while. "I make decent money," Johnson said, "but there's no way in hell that I'm going to be able to buy a house anytime soon."
The San Marcos event followed nine days earlier this month when Talarico was out of public view with the flu. His absence set off online conspiracy theories, including a false claim, spread by conservative social media influencers, that he was in a mental health treatment center in Ohio. The claim fell apart under scrutiny.
The stakes reach beyond Texas. Whoever wins will help decide which party controls the Senate during the final two years of Trump's term, either easing his path or opening the way to investigations and opposition. With the campaign in its last weeks, the spending totals and turnout are the things to watch.
Citações Notáveis
You are my slingshot. We are going up against our own Goliaths.— James Talarico, at San Marcos rally
I make decent money, but there's no way in hell that I'm going to be able to buy a house anytime soon.— Kaitlyn Johnson, 29-year-old bartender
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Politics & Governance