Voters heading into Fretz Park Library to cast ballots on Election Day ran into something stranger than the usual campaign volunteers: two humanoid robots, running around the parking lot, holding signs attacking Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico.
The robots were seen at the Dallas County polling site Tuesday, November 3, according to FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth, which reported the pair running around the parking lot near Fretz Park Library. One robot carried a sign reading “Talarico changes his mind more than I change my batteries,” while the other held one that said “Say no to Talafreako.” The station's report was built on video provided to FOX 4 along with its own earlier reporting on the robots' owner.
A reporter for D Magazine also crossed paths with a robot campaigning against Talarico at Fretz Park on November 2, the day before the November 3 sighting, showing the stunt wasn't a one-off.
Who's Behind the Bots
The station's report ties the robots to Aaron Mehdizadeh, who owns The Robot Company, the business that produces the humanoid machines. Mehdizadeh isn't new to robot-related headlines in North Texas. Earlier this year, he brought his robotic companion, nicknamed Stewie, on a Southwest Airlines flight to Las Vegas and bought the bot its own ticket, telling FOX 4 he made sure Stewie's battery fell below the FAA limit before buying the seat.
That flight had consequences beyond one trip to Vegas. The day after Mehdizadeh flew with Stewie, Southwest updated its baggage policy to ban both human-like and animal-like bots, a change the station's report links directly to his stunt. Mehdizadeh has said he understands why people are unsettled by a walking, talking robot sharing cabin space with them, but he's also framed artificial intelligence in sweeping terms, saying it could become one of the greatest things in human history for people who stay aligned with the technology and keep learning alongside it.
A Growing North Dallas Robot Business
Mehdizadeh's world of humanoid machines extends beyond one Southwest flight. A separate business, The Robot Studio, is a North Dallas startup that rents out humanoid robots for events across the region, according to CBS Texas. The outlet reports the company currently has four robots and hopes to expand to 20 by the end of the year, with bookings starting at $1,000. Among its lineup is a robot named Stewie, described as one of the newer and smaller models, which performs dance routines.
Election-Law Questions Left Unanswered
Texas election law does regulate activity near polling places. Under Section 61.003 of the Texas Election Code, a person commits an offense if, during the voting period, they are within 100 feet of an outside door through which a voter may enter the polling-place building, or within 20 feet of a parking space designated for curbside voting. It remains unclear whether the robots' location or behavior at Fretz Park crossed those lines.
A Noisier Race Over Data Centers
The robot sightings landed in the middle of an already heated fight over Talarico's Senate bid. CNN has reported that a super PAC called Lone Star Liberty, which supports Ken Paxton, has been running an AI-powered robocall campaign in Texas attacking Talarico over alleged ties to the data-center industry. One of those calls claimed Talarico took $11 million from data-center special interests, an allegation made in the call itself rather than an independently verified fact. CNN noted the calls used an AI-generated voice named Jennifer, the same voice used by at least two other political action committees this election cycle.
Data centers have become one of the most potent political targets of the 2026 election cycle, CNN reported, as concerns mount over their energy use, rising costs, and rapid expansion.
