Editorial: If Democrats want to win Texas, they'll have to be smarter than this

In Ken Paxton, Democrats see such a deficient Senate candidate that a Texas win for James Talarico seems totally within reach.

Paxton is a terrible nominee and an embarrassment to the Republican Party, if its leaders were still capable of shame. But here's the thing, Democrats: This is Texas.

Most people here either are or lean conservative, including many of the voters who find Paxton objectionable and might cross over in November. But you need the right message.

So what were Democrats thinking when they trotted out Bernie Sanders at the Texas Democratic convention last month?

Sanders, a darling of progressives nationwide and a champion of socialism, plays well with the party's base, but he's not the right ambassador for a Democratic Party that is betting its future on pulling Texas voters away from Republicans in the fall.

In his speech at the convention, the U.S. senator from Vermont advocated for freezing rents, expanding Social Security and passing Medicare for All. That won't sell in Texas.

He railed, too, against the ultrawealthy, yet Democrats fail to contend with the fact that life is largely unaffordable in progressive bastions like California, New York and Massachusetts. Dallas has plenty of billionaires and an abundance of good jobs.

And just because many Texans are concerned about affordability and troubled by Paxton's baggage doesn't mean they're going to rush into the arms of progressives who want to further inflate the size of the federal government.

A recent New York Times/Siena poll is telling. It shows Talarico and Paxton tied in the race for Senate, each with 47% support. However, 50% of respondents said they would prefer the Senate remain under Republican control.

Talarico has a chance, but only if he hews to measured policies and messaging. Gubernatorial nominee Gina Hinojosa, however, will have a tougher job trying to peel votes away from Gov. Greg Abbott, who has steered Texas through economic prosperity even as his politics have veered to the far right.

Democrats are right to emphasize unity. In that spirit, they should have invited Colin Allred, their nominee for the 33rd Congressional District, to speak at the convention. Allred and Talarico have butted heads over an influencer's allegations that Talarico insulted Allred. Shouldn't their priority be to stop someone as ethically compromised as Paxton from going to the Senate? It's time to bury the hatchet.

Meanwhile, Jasmine Crockett has revealed herself as the self-serving politician her critics suspected her to be by refusing to rally behind Talarico, who beat her for the Senate nomination. She has only confirmed voters' wisdom in rejecting her.

Embracing Bernie Sanders and letting intraparty drama fester will repel conflicted Texas voters. Democrats need to be strategic, now more than ever.

_____

Copyright 2026 Tribune Content Agency. All Rights Reserved.