James Talarico Looks to Close Gap With Black Voters in Texas

With midterms fast approaching, Texas Representative and United States Senate Candidate James Talarico (D-TX) is looking for a path to victory in November by rebuilding trust and support with Black voters across Texas.

As of this week, Talarico and opponent Attorney General Ken Paxton (R-TX) were locked in a dead heat in recent independent polls. Talarico spoke to Texas voters at a food pantry in Dallas earlier this week, calling on Black voters to allow him and his campaign the opportunity to earn their trust, respect and support.

But Talarico said this won’t happen overnight. Instead, it will be an ongoing process and “partnership,” he said he will continue to prioritize leading up to November.

“We have to treat every Black voter as a swing voter,” Talarico said. “And that means going out there, showing up, investing in that organizing work, earning their trust, earning their respect.”

According to the Pew Research Center, data shows Black voters have been more likely to vote for Democratic candidates. However, 15% of Black voters cast their ballots for President Donald Trump in 2024, compared to 8% in 2020 and 6% in 2016.

Talarico stressed that Democrats can’t assume people will show up and vote for that candidate in their state. He said he encourages other Democratic Congressional candidates to continue to show their communities how they’d support them if elected.

“If we earn the trust of Black Texans, if we earn their support, then we are going to win this race in November,” he said. “I feel that in my bones that we can do this together. And that’s the only way we do it, is together.”

With this theme of unity, Talarico said he thinks that’s why President Trump chose Dallas as the location for the first-ever Republican midterm convention in September.

“They are concerned about what it could mean in November of this year,” Talarico said. “That’s why they’re choosing Texas.”