If one were deliberately trying to lose an election for a United States Senate seat from Texas, it's hard to see how one could go about that any more effectively than Democrat James Talarico is doing. From his "vegan" campaign stumble, which he tried to walk back by being photographed awkwardly consuming some beef barbecue (can this guy do anything any other way than awkwardly?) to his anti-Second Amendment stances, this guy just plain doesn't know how to read the room.
Now, as the Republican National Committee's research arm has shown us, James Talarico is on record saying what a crying shame it was that his bill to eliminate half a million Texas oil and gas industry jobs failed.
Texas Democrat James Talarico says it's "a shame" that his bill that would have eliminated the oil and gas industry in Texas didn’t pass.
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) September 6, 2026
Over half a million oil and gas jobs support Texas families. pic.twitter.com/E1FJZflRmi
Here's that conversation; remember, we listen to these people so you don't have to. In this, Talarico was speaking to CBS Texas's Jack Fink, political reporter and host of the local show Eye on Politics.
Jack Fink: I mean, in your bill, back in House Bill 2206, on the energy, you said there would be a transition to the green economy, and you would want to replace lost jobs. That doesn't suggest that there wouldn't be an impact on oil and gas.
James Talarico: Well, this is why I was trying to work with Republicans, and Democrats alike, in the legislature, to make this bill a reality. But the bill wasn't even given a hearing. And as you know, when covering the legislature, bills, when they are first introduced, are a rough draft. And it's meant to go through a process with stakeholders and with members of both political parties. But folks in the state capital didn't want to have this conversation. And so, the bill died before it even got to committee. And that's a real shame, because I think there are ways to both grow our oil and gas industry and limit these emissions at the same time.
Here's a more likely reason: The bill was so egregiously stupid that the Texas state legislature rightly round-filed it. This bill alone, if it comes to light, should rightly cost Talarico the votes of anyone directly, indirectly, or tangentially associated with the Texas gas and oil industries.
Talarico didn’t just call to strip hundreds of thousands of jobs away from hardworking Texans, he also got called out for voting against banning a state income tax in Texas.
Talarico has proven once again that he doesn’t actually care about working Texans, he will raise their taxes and take their jobs to fund his far-Left extremist agenda.
Granted, Talarico isn't alone here; even people who pass for "moderate" Democrats these days have never seen a tax that didn't make them all breathless and weak in the knees with joy.
The facts are these: James Talarico is a bad fit for Texas, and he's a bad fit for the United States. He routinely, in every public appearance, in every announcement, in every campaign photo-op, proves again that he seems to have very little idea what he's doing. Polls show this as a close race, but that's just simply not credible, and with every pronouncement, every statement, every action, James Talarico sinks himself deeper. Barring some election shenanigans, Ken Paxton should win this one, handily.
Several Senate races in these 2026 midterm elections should have Republicans sweating. This isn't one of them.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
Help RedState continue to report on the Democrats’ radicalism and inform voters as our nation faces a crossroads. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the Conversation
VIP members get the ability to comment on articles.