Texas Democrat Senate nominee James Talarico has always had a Black voter problem, especially after he defeated their Queen Bee, Democrat Rep. Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), in the Senate primary. But during Talarico's 13-day disappearing act, he made that already strained relationship with the Black community even worse. 

One of the events that the Talarico campaign canceled during his "flu" episode was an October 5 gathering with the Central Texas African American Civic Engagement Symposium (CT-AACES). It had 325 confirmed registrants; not small potatoes by any means, and quite a huge undertaking for a local group. 

When the Talarico campaign begged off, CT-AACES sent a strongly worded email expressing their disappointment and how this cancellation caused them "irrecoverable financial loss." 

The Central Texas African American Civic Engagement Symposium (CT-AACES) expressed deep frustration in an email, sent to the Talarico campaign and obtained by Fox News Digital, after the campaign cancelled an event – which had 325 confirmed registrants – during Talarico's two-week absence from the campaign trail due to illness.

[...]

"While we understand Representative Talarico’s health required priority, we are deeply disappointed by the campaign’s decision to issue a flat cancellation rather than committing to a rescheduled date," the email reads. "It was a missed opportunity for Representative Talarico to directly address community skepticism and demonstrate the sincerity of his commitment to Central Texas African Americans."

This was not the first time Talarico flaked on a Black-voter focused event. Political strategist and Harris County, TX, Republican Party precinct chair Rebecca Trahan has watched this campaign closely and has attended several Talarico campaign functions under the radar. In September, Trahan went to a get-together at Houston's historic Emancipation Park, where Talarico was scheduled to attend. 

The candidate did not bother to show, and as far as Trahan knew, did not bother to inform the organizers that he would not be in attendance.

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In July, Talarico had a contentious exchange with Kandice Webber, a Black Lives Matter Houston activist and registered nurse, during a Kingdom Builders Center town hall, where she proclaimed, "This is why Black Texans don’t trust you." This is the same July event where Talarico declared that he would be launching a $25 million Black voter initiative. 

Talarico claimed:

“There is no way to win Texas without sustained, on-the-ground engagement in Black communities,” Talarico said. His campaign’s plan “further solidifies our commitment to organize and energize Black Texans who have been taken for granted for far too long by both political parties.”

This pledge came after Crockett lost the Senate primary, and essentially said she was going to sit on her ample hindquarters and do nothing to help his campaign.

I’m so very honored to vigorously represent Texas 30 in the Congress until Jan of 2027 and am back in the ranker seat today. 

With that being said, as a member of the 92%, I’ve labored without hesitation nor rest for some time which has been unhealthy. My labor going forward will be laser focused & balanced.

Who knows who constitutes that 92 percent she referenced, but thus far she has held true to her word: Crockett is campaigning for certain local, down-ballot Texas contests, and even out-of-state races like Virginia; but she has remained radio silent on Talarico. 

Then there was this October ZOOM call purportedly to strategize Black voter outreach. Talarico mysteriously dropped off in the midst of the call, and according to reports, never returned. 

And that $25 million for door knocking and Black grassroots? According to one Black Democrat operative, it has yet to materialize.

This is our shocked face.

At least one Austin-area Democratic operative who has met directly with Talarico told Fox News Digital that she remains frustrated by what she described as uneven follow-through on outreach to Black Democrats and candidates further down the ballot.

"Black voters aren't a monolith," the source cautioned, rejecting any blanket assertion that Black Texans distrust Talarico outright. "I think that there are pockets that do. There's a pocket that doesn’t. And then there's the pocket that's really unsure," she said.

The operative is particularly familiar with the nominee and the Democratic organizing landscape in the Austin region.

Asked about a $25 million investment to focus on door-knocking in Black neighborhoods, in-person community events and engagement with Black churches, the source said those investments haven’t manifested yet.

"We haven't received the money, but we're being told it's coming," she said of some accounts she has heard from the ground. "We received, you know, one or 2% of what we were told we were going to get. And then it's been silence since," she said.

Black voters are not just being taken for granted by Talarico; they are being completely ignored. When given the choice between hobnobbing with Hollywood and New York elites and rubbing shoulders with Black Texas voters, Talarico prefers Foie Gras to Fried Chicken.

Who knows, some of those Black voters may wind up pulling the lever for his Republican opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, just because. 

Wouldn't surprise us at all. 

Texas early voting begins on Monday, October 19.