LUBBOCK, Texas — Democratic Senate hopeful James Talarico used a rally here Tuesday to hammer home his message of a "corruption crisis" in American politics, going head-to-head with President Trump for attention in a deeply conservative region just days before the midterms.
Trump made his third Texas stop in a month, part of a frantic effort to boost Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton and prevent Democrats from capturing their first statewide office in over three decades. The president's visit to Lubbock came just an hour before Talarico took the stage across town.
Talarico, a former teacher and seminarian, leaned on both scripture and Texas high school football lore to frame his campaign as an underdog battle against powerful forces, including Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk, who has poured millions into attack ads against the Democrat.
"We're going to shock the nation and shock the world when we beat the billionaires and take back Texas," Talarico declared to supporters.
Earlier, Trump sought to paint Talarico as out of step with Texas values, telling the crowd, "He doesn't represent your values, and we can't take a chance." The president won Lubbock County by 40 points in 2024 and dominates most of West Texas, but Republicans are relying on his ability to turn out loyal supporters in a race that has become unexpectedly competitive.
The president also made a stop in Corpus Christi, where he highlighted a deal with Venezuela to process more crude oil in Texas refineries, a move aimed at countering rising gas prices tied to the U.S.-Iran conflict. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a brief appearance onstage with Trump, a preview of the GOP's potential 2028 field.
Trump's final-week blitz has taken him to Mississippi, Michigan, Georgia, Florida, Iowa, and now Texas, with additional stops planned in Ohio, South Carolina, Florida, Kansas, and Iowa. All are states he carried in 2024, underscoring his strategy of energizing the Republican base rather than courting swing voters.
Texas represents the toughest test of that approach. Talarico has capitalized on Paxton's ethical and legal troubles and a broader political headwind for the GOP. Musk, who has relocated both himself and his companies to Texas, has become a central figure, spending at least $158 million to defeat Talarico. That money flowed through the Senate Leadership Fund to the Texas PAC, making it the largest single contributor to Paxton's campaign and helping fuel over $563 million in ad spending, according to AdImpact.
For Talarico, Musk's involvement is both a challenge and a gift. He has woven the billionaire into his stump speech, arguing that such wealth distorts democracy and exacerbates the affordability crisis. "He is trying to buy Texas," Talarico said. "Texas is not for sale."
The dynamics echo the governor's race, where Democrat Gina Hinojosa has sued to force disclosure of communications between Musk and Governor Greg Abbott. A judge ruled Monday that Hinojosa, a state representative, must be allowed to review over 1,000 unredacted pages by Thursday.
As the campaign enters its final days, the shadow of 2028 looms. Rubio's joint appearances with Trump, though brief, signal his positioning as a potential successor. But for now, the immediate focus is on whether Trump's last-minute push can hold Texas for the GOP — or whether Talarico's anti-corruption message can break through in a state that hasn't elected a Democrat statewide since 1994.
