Texas Senate Candidate James Talarico Pursues His Campaign Independently

Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico chose not to attend a Monday night rally in El Paso where Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont was the main speaker. Instead, Talarico held his own campaign events in North Texas as he prepares for the final weeks of his race against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton.

While Sanders appeared at the Abraham Chavez Theatre alongside former Representative Beto O’Rourke and Democratic Representatives Greg Casar and Veronica Escobar, Talarico held a rally at North Crowley High School in Fort Worth as part of his ‘Clear Eyes, Full Hearts’ campaign tour. Earlier, he stopped by Denton for another event.

In communication with Fox News Digital, Talarico’s campaign was asked why he chose to hold a separate event rather than join the other Democrats who used the El Paso event to endorse his Senate bid and criticize Republican campaign spending. Beto O’Rourke cited the massive investment against Talarico, saying, ‘They have spent, so far, $368 million just against one man, the next senator from the state of Texas, James Talarico. That’s how desperate, how scared, and how panicked they are right now.’

Casar also spoke in support of Talarico, emphasizing that electing him would help push forward Democratic legislative priorities. However, Sanders focused his remarks on wealthy political donors and their drastic influence, without naming Talarico specifically.

‘What you are seeing in this campaign, what you are seeing right here in Texas, all over America, is multibillionaires are pouring hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars,’ Sanders stated, urging early voting as part of a struggle against the political power of affluent Americans.

In Fort Worth, Talarico echoed similar sentiments about financial influence in politics, critiquing Paxton and Elon Musk over the sway of wealthy donors in the race. He added, ‘We have an affordability crisis because we have a corruption crisis.’

Talarico aims to transcend usual party boundaries, stating, ‘This election shouldn’t be about the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. It’s bigger than that.’

The contest between Talarico and Paxton is for the Senate seat departing Republican Sen. John Cornyn. This race is gaining national interest as Democrats seek their first Texas U.S. Senate win since 1988.

Bradford Betz is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital, covering crime, political issues, and more.