James Talarico is a Texas state representative who\u2019s recently announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate. He\u2019s a Democrat, but not afraid to criticize some aspects of his party.<\/p>\n
\u201cNational Democrats have talked about defending democracy or protecting institutions,\u201d he said. \u201cBut, this democracy of ours doesn’t work for a lot of people in this country. It doesn’t work for a lot of people in Texas\u2026. This is a deeply broken political system. And I’m not interested in defending it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Talarico joined POLITICO\u2019s Dasha Burns this week for an episode of The Conversation, in a wide-ranging conversation about his candidacy, his faith and what Democrats can learn from Beyonc\u00e9.<\/p>\n
Talarico caught national attention when he flipped a state House district outside Austin in 2018, and has grown in prominence on social media, where he boasts millions of followers on TikTok and Instagram. The former school teacher who\u2019s studying to be a pastor is joining a crowded race to try to turn a Senate seat blue in Texas.<\/p>\n
His faith has been one of the central aspects of his campaign. \u201cMy faith is why I went into public service. My granddad was a Baptist preacher in South Texas [and he] told me that Jesus gave us these two commandments to love God and love neighbor, which means that your faith is inherently public, right?,\u201d he said. \u201cThat means that your faith should impact how you treat people out in the world. And really politics is just another word for how we treat our neighbors at the most fundamental level.\u201d<\/p>\n
When it comes to immigration, a Texas issue in the national spotlight, Talarico offered a metaphor to explain his approach. \u201cPeople have a desire for a sane immigration system, a secure border that can ensure public safety and can ensure that the people coming here are coming to contribute to our communities and not threaten our communities,\u201d he said. \u201cWe should treat our southern border like our front porch. We should have a giant welcome mat out front, and we should have the lock on the door.\u201d<\/p>\n