James Talarico is Running for U.S. Senate. It's About More Than Texas.

On Tuesday, Texas state Rep. James Talarico will announce his run for the U.S. Senate.

The headlines will note the obvious: he’s the second high-profile Democrat to enter, he’s young, charismatic, has a social media following, and he’s joining a field that includes Colin Allred, Terry Virts, and perhaps – if they ever make up their minds – Beto O’Rourke or Joaquin Castro.

They’ll also note the Republican side: John Cornyn, long-tenured and establishment-minded, fending off an insurrection from Ken Paxton, the scandal-plagued attorney general whose hold on the state’s hard right is, unnervingly, strong.

Texas Rep. James Talarico D-Austin speaks during a redistricting rally at Delco Activity Center on July 25, 2025 in Austin. Credit: Ronaldo Bolaños/The Texas Tribune

But that’s the surface. Beneath it, Talarico’s campaign is a test of something much bigger: whether Democrats can build a politics in red states that is culturally credible, emotionally resonant, and structurally competitive.

Let’s break it all down.