James Talarico Calls For a ‘Bigger’ Texas Built On Unity, Not Division

United States Senate candidate and Texas Representative James Talarico (D-TX) delivered a message of unity during his Texas Democratic Party convention speech last week, emphasizing the need to prioritize Texans’ shared interests over partisan divides.

With the race between Talarico and his opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-TX), intensifying ahead of November, Talarico framed his campaign around a broader vision for the state and called for an end to deepening political polarization.

To Talarico, being a Texan does not mean sharing one background or belief, but simply striving to be “builders and dreamers.” But he argued that this shared identity is undermined by those looking to divide Texans politically, including what he called “tyrant, billionaire mega-donors.”

“The billionaires who own the social media algorithms, who own the cable news networks, who own the politicians fighting on our screens, they are turning neighbor against neighbor, weakening that spirit of friendship that makes Texas so great,” Talarico said.

This spirit of giving, Talarico said, underscores the “big hearts” and “big dreams” that define Texas.

“But the current political landscape is too small for Texas,” he said.

Talarico said political polarization is the greatest challenge to Texas, arguing that billionaires are using partisan divisions to “divide and conquer” rather than strengthen the connections that unite Texans.

“We need to remember the meaning of our name: friendship across tribes, friendship across divides,” Talarico said.

Although Talarico will go head-to-head against Paxton, he focused less on attacking his opponent and instead said the election is a way for Texas to reclaim its identity.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re an eighth-generation Texan like me or a California transplant like Ken Paxton,” he said. “What makes a Texan is not in the boots or in the truck. It’s deep in the heart.”

Looking to November, Talarico said this will be a chance for Texans to redefine the state’s future.

“It won’t happen overnight, but a giant state deserves giant dreams,” he said. “We are bigger than extremism. We’re bigger than partisanship. We’re bigger than corruption.”