United States Senate Candidate James Talarico (D-TX) kicked off his “Working for Texas” tour earlier last week with a visit to Arlington, Texas, where he addressed supporters and residents.
During his speech, Talarico said he wants to rebuild labor unions, cancel medical debt and stop hospitals and insurance companies from overcharging patients. From here, Talarico will head to 10 other cities to outline his economic agenda and connect with voters across the state.
“I will fight to unrig this economy. I will fight to lower your costs and raise your pay,” Talarico said. “And unlike Ken Paxton, I will fight to put your hard-earned money where it belongs, in your pocket.”
Talarico, like many Democrats, said his campaign focuses on affordability, while criticizing Republicans for policies he says benefit corporations and the wealthy.
“It is time to raise the minimum wage and expand overtime pay so workers can actually share in the wealth they create,” Talarico said. “It’s time to repeal the 'Big Ugly Bills'' tax breaks for the top 1% and give that $1 trillion to the middle class in the form of a cost of living tax cut.”
Contrary to Talarico’s “New American Dream,” Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton offered his own vision for the future, “Protecting the Texas Promise.”
Paxton’s plan includes tax deductions for medical expenses, home purchases and healthy lifestyle costs, including GLP-1 medications and gym memberships. He is also proposing doubling the child tax credit to $4,400 per child and making Trump accounts for children permanent.
However, Talarico argues the affordability crisis requires a different approach, pointing to what he says is the root cause of rising costs.
“We have an affordability crisis because we have a corruption crisis,” Talarico said. “It’s time for us to come together across these manufactured divisions, to take on the people at the top who have been screwing us over for far too long.”
Talarico added that many Republicans and Democrats argue that “trickle-down economics” will resolve the crisis, but he counters that only political unity will.
“This is not a politics of fear. This is not a politics of division,” he said. “This is a politics of unity, a politics of friendship, a politics of love. This new kind of politics can change our state. It can change our country.”
