U-S Senate candidate James Talarico’s recent CNN town hall performance revealed the skill that has him competitive in Texas: the ability to sound moderate while holding progressive views. The Austin-area state representative positioned himself as a pragmatic Democrat who would seek middle ground on the economy, healthcare, and immigration and who would not hesitate to challenge his own party. “I’m a proud Texas Democrat, but I already have a religion, and I already have a sports team,” he said. “So, I have no problem sharing hard truths with my party if it’s what’s best for Texas.”
Polls show the race against Attorney General Ken Paxton remains a toss-up, with early voting underway. Talarico’s viability is real. An underappreciated reason is the Texas mainstream media’s reluctance to examine his contradictions or more unconventional moments, such as instantly naming a drag performer as his favorite when asked. Outlets that closely cover politics largely ignored the remark or framed subsequent coverage around the performer’s response rather than voter reaction. An article in The Dispatch wonders if oddity is one measure of newsworthiness, it should have prompted at least a few news media stories. After all, few Americans could probably name any drag performer other than RuPaul.
The Democratic Senate nominee has moderated many of his progressive positions, but you wouldn’t know that from local reporting, according to The Dispatch. Talarico has not fundamentally changed; he has simply refined how he presents himself.