James Talarico, a Texas state representative and rising star in Democratic politics, is set to launch a bid Tuesday to run for incumbent Sen. John Cornyn’s Senate seat, a person familiar with his plans told NOTUS.
Talarico, a 36-year-old pastor and former educator, attracted national attention as the leading voice of Texas Democratic lawmakers who left the state in an attempt to prevent Republicans’ mid-decade redistricting efforts. He’s also been the rare Democrat to appear on Joe Rogan’s podcast.
Cornyn’s seat has attracted a lot of attention from the Democratic Party because of the brutal primary expected between the senator and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is leading Cornyn in the polls.
Democrats see an opening, should Paxton win the primary, to potentially flip the seat in a midterm year. But Texas is a Republican stronghold — a Democratic lawmaker has not won a statewide office in more than 30 years.
Talarico’s launch could hurt former Rep. Colin Allred’s chances of winning the Senate seat. Allred, who lost to Sen. Ted Cruz in 2024, announced in July that he was running again.
Former Rep. Beto O’Rourke was also eyeing a run for the seat but hasn’t decided yet, two people familiar with the matter told NOTUS.
Politico first reported Talarico would be joining the race.
A spokesperson for Talarico declined to comment on his plans for the seat.