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Former President Barack Obama is entering the Texas Senate fight in hopes of flipping the seat for Democrats.
The New York Times reported on Tuesday, May 11, that former President Barack Obama is supporting Democratic candidate James Talarico from Texas for the Senate seat held by Republican Sen. John Cornyn.
This happened after reporters spotted the former president posing for photos with Talarico and Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Ginajosa at a taco joint in Austin, Texas.
As the Times reports, when President Obama introduced himself to the table, he asked, “Do you know our fine next governor and senator?”
No formal endorsements of Talarico or Hinajosa were announced during or after the event.
Just three leaders came together to discuss how to engage young voters and build an economy that works for working people, as the Hinajosa and Talarico campaigns say, “while eating the finest tacos Texas has to offer.”
Who is James Talarico?
Talarico is no stranger to making waves in Texas politics, having first been elected to the Texas House in 2018 to represent the 50th District, which includes north Austin and the city of Pflugerville.
Talarico still holds the seat and was talked about several times during the Texas legislative session last year.
The first time was when the state Legislature was considering the colloquially named Ten Commandments bill, which would require donated Ten Commandments placards to be displayed in Texas public schools.
During the debate, Talarico asked key House members who supported the Senate bill, “What was the Fourth Commandment?”
“Keep the Sabbath,” said state Rep. Candy Noble (R-Murphy). “Does that mean we’ll be here on Saturday?”
Talarico also made headlines in late 2025, when dozens of Democratic lawmakers fled the state during a special session called by Gov. Greg Abbott as Republicans tried to push through a new congressional map at the request of President Donald Trump.
Although the map and bill were passed and upheld by the courts, a series of events led to Talarico throwing his hat into the ring to become the next Texas state senator.
He and then-U.S. House candidate Jasmine Crockett ran competitive campaigns in the Texas Democratic primary in March, but Talarico ultimately claimed victory and a runoff was avoided.
The Republican is not so lucky, with Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton facing runoff elections in late May.
One of them is scheduled to face Talarico in the November 2026 general election.
According to a recent opinion poll, texas poll Reports on April 28 indicated Talarico had a slight lead over Republican primary runoff candidates Paxton and Cornyn.
Mateo Rosiles is a Texas Connect reporter for USA TODAY and local Texas newspapers. Do you have any news tips for him? Email him: mrosiles@usatodayco.com.
