Talarico Courts Texas Swing Voters in 37-Year Senate Bid as He Clarifies Abortion and ICE Views
Updated
Updated · CNN · Oct 14
Talarico Courts Texas Swing Voters in 37-Year Senate Bid as He Clarifies Abortion and ICE Views
3 articles · Updated · CNN · Oct 14
Summary
James Talarico used a CNN-Jubilee town hall to pitch himself to Republicans and independents, saying he would break with Democrats when needed and asking voters to back him, not just oppose Ken Paxton.
On abortion, border security and energy, the 37-year-old Democrat stressed overlap with conservatives—calling himself a “border security Democrat,” backing oil and gas, and urging a public-health approach to reducing abortions.
Talarico also tried to defuse liabilities, saying a weeklong campaign absence was due to a “nasty case of the flu” and rejecting attacks from Paxton allies as conspiracy theories.
Pressed on past remarks, he said his criticism of capitalism targeted “crony capitalism,” not markets, and clarified that he does not support abolishing ICE despite earlier rhetoric about a “secret police force.”
He tied that moderation pitch to a populist economic message, citing his $684 first insulin bill and his role in capping Texas insulin copays at $25 as a model for broader healthcare cost limits.