Talarico’s «proud capitalist» stance collides with resurfaced 2020 remarks on dismantling capitalism
Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico faces fresh scrutiny after a resurfaced 2020 Zoom call shows him calling capitalism an «oppressive system» that should be dismantled, conflicting with his campaign’s current «proud capitalist» positioning ahead of his race against Republican Ken Paxton.
The campaign of Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico describes him as a «proud capitalist,» but a resurfaced 2020 video shows the state lawmaker describing capitalism as an «oppressive system» that needed to be dismantled, drawing fresh scrutiny in a race that could help determine control of the U.S. Senate.
During a Zoom call with Sierra Club activists, Talarico said the country faced a «multi-faceted threat» of climate, economic, and social crises. When an activist asked how to address climate harm suffered by communities of color, Talarico responded that he was «thankful» young activists had drawn a link «between climate change and white supremacy and capitalism in our country.» He added, «I think only understanding the ways that all three of those oppressive systems work together are we going to be able to begin the process of dismantling them.»
On the same call, Talarico forecast that Texas’ fossil fuel industry would not last, comparing it to «being the leader in cassette tapes in the 1980s.» The comments were first reported by CNN and quickly seized on by Lone Star Liberty PAC, an outside group aligned with Republican nominee and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, and Senate Leadership Fund, a leading super PAC backing Senate Republicans.
Talarico campaign spokesperson J.T. Ennis pushed back, saying, «James is a proud capitalist and agrees with the majority of Texans that racism, natural disasters, and a billionaire-controlled economy are all problems we need to address.» Ennis added that Talarico «has already said he missed the mark on some of his past statements,» while pointing to Paxton’s refusal to address his own past comments, including calling the Uvalde school shooting «God’s plan» and saying Texas’ abortion ban is good for interstate commerce.
The Talarico campaign also highlighted that the lawmaker has «taken many votes» supporting the oil industry, and his campaign website states he aims to ensure Texas «not only maintains, but extends» its energy dominance. Republicans have repeatedly targeted Talarico for past statements on social issues, including his prior suggestions that «God is nonbinary,» that he «hates Christianity,» and that «there are many more than two biological sexes; in fact, there are six.»
Talarico, a 37-year-old former middle school teacher and Presbyterian seminarian, defeated progressive firebrand Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the March Democratic Senate primary. Paxton, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, captured the GOP nomination in late May after defeating longtime Republican Sen. John Cornyn in a primary runoff. Trump stayed neutral in that intra-party battle until giving Paxton an 11th-hour endorsement.
The general election face-off in deep-red Texas is one of roughly a dozen races likely to decide whether Republicans hold the Senate majority or Democrats win back control. Democrats have not won a Senate election in Texas in nearly four decades, but they view Paxton as vulnerable due to a slew of scandals and legal problems that have battered him over the past decade. Paxton is also dealing with a messy divorce, with his wife citing «biblical grounds» based on «recent discoveries» in a filing last year.
Talarico enjoys a large fundraising advantage over Paxton. The most recent Fox News poll in the Texas Senate showdown, conducted in late July, indicated Talarico holding a slight 51%-48% edge over Paxton among registered voters. The survey suggested Paxton had yet to fully unite Republicans: while virtually all Democrats supported Talarico (98%), slightly fewer Republicans were unified behind Paxton (89%). The most recent Fox News Power Rankings shifted the Texas Senate race from Lean Republican to toss-up.
