Texas State Representative James Talarico is running for the U.S. Senate against impeached and indicted Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) in what is expected to be a hotly-contested campaign. Talarico has captured national recognition for his focus on ending corruption and his opposition to Christian Nationalism. Talarico won his March 3 primary outright, while his Republican Paxton, had to face a run-off against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.

An eighth-generation Texan, Talarico was born and raised in Round Rock, Texas. He has served in the Texas House of Representatives since 2018, when he flipped Texas House District 50 which Donald Trump had carried by 9 points just two years earlier. He earned bachelor's degree in government from the University of Texas at Austin, a master's degree in education policy from Harvard University, and is training to be a pastor at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

Before entering politics, Talarico joined Teach for America, where he taught sixth-grade English in San Antonio, and later served as executive director of an education nonprofit. His personal story — raised by a single mother who escaped an abusive relationship and rebuilt their lives on the eastside of Austin — drives his commitment to fighting for working families.

As a state legislator, Talarico has been a fearless progressive voice, going viral across social media for his faith-driven challenges to Republican colleagues on issues from school vouchers to the Ten Commandments in public schools. He ran his Senate campaign without accepting a dollar from corporate PACs, with 98% of his donations coming from small-dollar contributors of $100 or less. Having raised over $20 million and winning a competitive Democratic primary, Talarico is widely seen as a rising star with a genuine shot at making history by returning a Democrat to statewide office in Texas for the first time in more than 30 years.