Two big breaks for Talarico & a $100 million problem

Two big breaks for Talarico & a $100 million problem

From Texas Take by Houston Chronicle

June 11, 2026 · 43 min

About this episode

The episode discusses James Talarico's political campaign and the challenges he faces against Republican opponents in Texas.

James Talarico is getting an unexpected boost from shifting political winds in South Texas and Houston as he seeks to become the first Democrat to win statewide in Texas in over 30 years. National Democratic strategist Chuck Rocha and Houston Chronicle reporter John Lomax join Texas Take host Jeremy Wallace to explain it all. But Talarico faces hurdles too, specifically a looming $100 million problem. Reporter Benjamin Wermund joins the program to explain how Gov. Greg Abbott's huge campaign war chest could become a valuable resource for Republican Ken Paxton as he looks to fend off Talarico in the U.S. Senate race. And red alert, we are just 5 months away until Election Day and 3 months from the first absentee ballots going out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Jeremy Wallace

Guests: Chuck Rocha, John Lomax, Benjamin Wermund

Topics covered

  • politics
  • elections
  • Texas
  • Democrats
  • Republicans
  • campaign finance

Keywords

  • Talarico
  • Texas elections
  • campaign finance
  • Greg Abbott
  • Ken Paxton
  • Democratic strategy
  • Republican challenges

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Houston Chronicle

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