HOUSTON — Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico outlined an economic agenda focused on affordability, higher wages and debt relief during a campaign stop Sunday at San Jacinto College in Pasadena.
Talarico, a Texas state representative, presented his recently announced “New American Dream” platform to a packed auditorium, arguing that rising costs have made homeownership, raising a family and retirement increasingly difficult for working Americans.
“The American dream has become an American nightmare,” Talarico said, citing the cost of housing, child-rearing and retirement.
His proposals include raising the minimum wage, shifting tax benefits from wealthy Americans toward middle-class families and small businesses, strengthening labor unions, canceling medical debt and capping credit card interest rates.
Talarico also blamed wealthy donors and Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, his opponent in the Senate race, for what he described as an economic system that disadvantages working families.
“If you are struggling to afford your groceries, if you’re struggling to afford your gas, if you’re struggling to afford housing and childcare and prescription drugs, the things that we need to survive, it is not because you’re lazy,” Talarico said. “It is because the system has been rigged against you by billionaire megadonors and corrupt politicians like Ken Paxton.”
Paxton has promoted a different economic approach centered largely on tax cuts. During a Houston campaign stop last week, he criticized Talarico over his record on taxes.
“My opponent wouldn’t vote for any of that stuff,” Paxton said, referring to his proposed tax cuts. He accused Talarico of supporting tax increases, including a state income tax and an estate tax.
Talarico has not voted for either tax. He did oppose constitutional amendments that would permanently prohibit Texas from adopting a state income tax or estate tax.
Talarico’s campaign stop came two days after a Texas Pulse and Texas A&M University Bush School poll showed him leading Paxton 47% to 43%. The survey marked the fourth consecutive poll to show Talarico ahead.
The poll also found that 87% of Black Texas voters said they would support Talarico, compared with 2% for Paxton.
A Texas Southern University poll released last week similarly showed Talarico leading Paxton among Black voters, 79% to 12%.
A separate TSU survey found that 71% of Black Texas voters viewed Talarico favorably, while 77% agreed that Texas Democrats take Black voters for granted.
Talarico has pledged to spend $25 million on Black voter outreach. His campaign said the money will support Black staff members and consultants, advertising through Black-owned media companies, local Black media organizations, churches, community groups and historically Black colleges and universities.
“For too long, the Democratic Party has taken Black voters for granted,” Talarico said at a July town hall with Black voters in Houston. “The fastest way to lose an election is to take any voter or any community for granted. We’re not going to make that mistake in this race.”
