James Talarico spent yesterday at a Dallas food pantry, telling volunteers that demand for help is higher now than it was during the pandemic. He cast affordability — covering groceries, gas, insurance, housing, childcare and prescription drugs — as the kitchen-table issue that could decide a razor-thin U.S. Senate race this November.
At the pantry, Talarico said, "All of us are struggling to afford the basics." He told supporters that centering his campaign on lowering costs is how he plans to beat Attorney General Ken Paxton in November, according to CBS News Texas. He also said he plans to campaign in North Texas frequently over the next four months and that he cannot win the seat without winning the region.
Polls Show A Toss-Up Race
The University of Texas/Texas Politics Project's June poll found Paxton at 43% and Talarico at 42%, a result pollsters called statistically indistinguishable. A New York Times/Siena survey reported a 47-47 tie, turning the contest into one of the nation's most-watched Senate fights this cycle, according to Siena Research Institute.
Talarico's Cost-First Playbook
Talarico's campaign has branded his approach as a cost-first playbook that focuses on lowering drug and health costs, expanding Medicaid and boosting wages for working households. His issues page calls for raising the federal minimum wage, curbing prescription prices and asking wealthy individuals and corporations to pay more in order to fund those priorities, per the Talarico for Texas campaign platform.
Republicans Bring The Fight To Dallas
President Trump announced Republicans will hold an unprecedented midterm convention in Dallas on Sept. 9-10, a move intended to rally voters and spotlight Senate nominee Ken Paxton, according to AP News. Talarico has argued that the GOP's recent tax measures cut health programs and risk angering voters, a critique he reiterated during Monday's pantry stop, per CBS News Texas.
With polls tightening, Talarico's visit to the pantry was meant to show voters that his message is rooted in everyday needs and to keep pressing the pocketbook issue across North Texas. The coming months and the September GOP convention in Dallas are poised to make the Metroplex a central battleground where turnout and small-dollar persuasion could decide the result.
