UNDERDOG

Rising Dem Star Unveils Bid for Senate in Deep-Red State

James Talarico has been backed by a surprising variety of public figures, from Joe Rogan to Barack Obama.

Texas State Representative James Talarico—an up-and-coming star among Democrats who caused major upset after flipping a Trump-leaning Austin suburb in 2018—just entered the race for Senate. It’s an already crowded contest to flip the deep red state by taking on Ted Cruz, with Talarico’s fellow Democrat Colin Allred having already bought himself significant name recognition with a $94 million challenge to the GOP incumbent last year. All the same, Talarico’s entry comes along with his growing viral reach, buoyed in part by his background as a seminarian in the uber-Christian state, and in part by his sitdown on The Joe Rogan Experience earlier in July, during which the controversial podcaster told Talarico he should consider running for the White House. Barack Obama would appear to have received that message loud and clear, with the former president’s people reportedly reaching out to Talarico’s team late last month as part of a wider effort to put the wind behind young Democratic hopefuls.