AUSTIN, Texas — Former President Barack Obama met with U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico at an Austin taco shop on Tuesday, putting his public support behind a Democrat vying for a U.S. Senate seat in a state the party has long struggled to win.
Obama was joined at the lunch by state Representative Gina Hinojosa, the Democratic nominee for governor who is challenging Republican Governor Greg Abbott. The meeting was aimed at giving both candidates a boost from one of the most popular figures in the Democratic Party.
The former president has used his post-presidency to highlight younger leaders in the party. He recently appeared in the Bronx alongside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to promote a free child care initiative.
Obama first spoke about Talarico months earlier on a podcast, calling him a “terrific, really talented young man,” the Associated Press reported. He also called Hinojosa in March to congratulate her on her campaign, according to a Facebook post from the state representative.
Talarico’s campaign has drawn national attention for its progressive, Christian-inflected platform. The approach, which often frames policy arguments in moral and religious language, has set Talarico apart in a crowded Democratic field.
The November general election will pit him against the winner of a Republican primary runoff. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is locked in a contest with incumbent Senator John Cornyn. The runoff is scheduled for May 26.
Texas has not elected a Democrat to statewide office in more than three decades, though Democratic campaigns in recent cycles have pointed to narrowing margins in major urban and suburban counties as evidence that the state is inching toward competitiveness.
The Obama visit, while modest in scope, provides Talarico with a high-wattage national surrogate. Obama remains one of the Democratic Party’s most sought-after figures for candidates running in competitive or symbolically important races.
Hinojosa’s presence at the meeting also underscores the party’s effort to coordinate its statewide ticket, with Democrats hoping that a strong top-of-the-ballot push in Texas could benefit candidates down the ballot.
Talarico, a former public school teacher, has served in the Texas House of Representatives and has made education funding, healthcare access, and voting rights central to his campaign. His progressive Christianity has drawn attention from national outlets, and he has positioned himself as a voice for a younger generation of Texas Democrats.
Neither Cornyn nor Paxton commented publicly on the Obama visit. Cornyn, who has held his Senate seat since 2002, faces a primary challenge from Paxton, the state’s embattled attorney general, who has been endorsed by figures on the party’s right flank and has presented himself as a more combative alternative.
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee has not yet named Texas as a top-tier target, but a competitive primary on the Republican side, combined with high-profile Democratic visits, may draw additional resources to the state as the general election approaches.
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