{"id":2591513,"date":"2026-04-16T11:41:02","date_gmt":"2026-04-16T15:41:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-candidate-james-talarico-reports-eye-popping-fundraising-haul-but-weve-seen-this-from-democrats-before\/"},"modified":"2026-04-16T11:43:50","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T15:43:50","slug":"senate-candidate-james-talarico-reports-eye-popping-fundraising-haul-but-weve-seen-this-from-democrats-before","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/senate-candidate-james-talarico-reports-eye-popping-fundraising-haul-but-weve-seen-this-from-democrats-before\/","title":{"rendered":"Senate Candidate James Talarico Reports Eye-Popping Fundraising Haul &#8211; But We&#8217;ve Seen This From Democrats Before"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fsenate-candidate-james-talarico-reports-eye-popping-fundraising-haul-but-weve-seen-this-from-democrats-before%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2591513&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The piece analyzes the 2026 Texas U.S. Senate race, focusing on Democrat James Talarico, a texas state representative who has built a very <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/sherrod-brown-hit-with-advertising-in-ohio-over-menthol-cigarette-ban-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Sherrod Brown hit with advertising in Ohio over menthol cigarette ban ... Washington Examiner\">large fundraising haul<\/a> as he prepares too challenge either incumbent Republican John Cornyn or Attorney General Ken Paxton.It notes democrats\u2019 hopes of making Texas competitive, but cites polling from RealClearPolitics that shows Cornyn or Paxton still leading Talarico, with a Republican runoff set for May 26. The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/why-thomas-massie-isnt-liz-cheney-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Why Thomas Massie isn&#039;t Liz Cheney ... Washington Examiner\">article draws comparisons<\/a> to Beto O\u2019Rourke\u2019s 2018 bid-high fundraising and media attention that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/crenshaw-the-real-authoritarians\/\" title=\"CRENSHAW: The Real Authoritarians\">ultimately fell short<\/a> in Texas-and fears that the GOP establishment will pour substantial money into the race to keep Texas red. It also highlights controversies surrounding Talarico\u2019s remarks on religion, including claims like \u201cGod is nonbinary\u201d and other cited quotes, suggesting such moments could influence voters. The piece argues that, despite Talarico\u2019s fundraising prowess, the ultimate outcome hinges on the Republican nomination and late-breaking dynamics, while reflecting on whether history might repeat itself, aided by cultural references such as the Smiths\u2019 Stop Me If You Think you\u2019ve Heard This One Before.<\/p>\n<p>Key takeaways:<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Talarico\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >large fundraising haul positions<\/a> him as a serious challenger in a race where Texas has been leaning Republican.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Polls show a narrow lead for Cornyn or Paxton over Talarico, keeping the race competitive but unresolved.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; The article compares the situation to Beto O\u2019Rourke\u2019s 2018 bid, noting heavy attention and money but a close, ultimately unsuccessful result for Democrats.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211; Controversial statements attributed to Talarico are presented as potential factors that could shape voter perception.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_3)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>It&rsquo;s a string of words famously uttered by Morrissey in a Smiths hit, and which should have been uttered more often by former President Joe Biden: &ldquo;Stop me if you think that you&rsquo;ve heard this one before.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In Texas, the great blue savior has arrived. His name is James Talarico, a state representative who&rsquo;s polling close to his Republican rivals in the U.S. Senate race and has a massive, never-before-seen fundraising haul to elect a Democrat from the Lone Star State to the upper chamber for the first time since Lloyd Bentsen&rsquo;s last reelection campaign in 1988.<\/p>\n<p>(The senator was less successful in his other foray in electoral politics that year, running mate to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=BRPZQ3UEN_Q\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">tank aficionado<\/a> Michael Dukakis on the Democratic ticket.)<\/p>\n<p>And, as <a href=\"https:\/\/edition.cnn.com\/2026\/04\/15\/politics\/talarico-democrats-senate-fundraising\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CNN<\/a> said, Talarico is gearing up to do battle with a massive war chest from donors who will pour money into the race to ensure that he has the firepower to defeat whoever the Republicans nominate.<\/p>\n<p>Just like that guy, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/beto-orourke-invites-supporters-morning-run-along-water-people-instantly-notice-problem\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Beto What&rsquo;s-His-Name<\/a>. You know, the one who could sweat through a shirt in two seconds, got a bunch of money, and then lost to Sen. Ted Cruz despite the media giving him adoring coverage. That one!<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadAnyclip() { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst container=document.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!container) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=\"https:\/\/player.anyclip.com\/anyclip-widget\/lre-widget\/prod\/v1\/src\/lre.js\"; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"pubname\", \"westernjournalcom\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"widgetname\", \"001w000001jULVcAAO_M12924\");  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ append inside the container so player shows in correct spot \t\t\t\t\t\tcontainer.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadAnyclip(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #anyclipvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#anyclipvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>From CNN on Wednesday:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em>Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico announced a first-quarter fundraising haul of more than $27 million on Wednesday, among the largest totals reported by a US Senate candidate.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Talarico, a state representative and Presbyterian seminarian, won the Democratic nomination in March over US Rep. Jasmine Crockett. His campaign said he has raised $10 million since the March 3 primary.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Democrats are hoping Talarico will be able to put reliably red Texas in play at the statewide level as they face a tough national map for Senate control that would require them to net four seats. The Democratic state representative will face the winner of a May 26 runoff in the Republican primary between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>And, indeed, there&rsquo;s Lucy-holding-the-football hope that this time, voters will let tax-happy, LGBT-friendly, open-borders Charlie Brown kick the football in football-loving Texas, finally. The Republican runoff only happens on May 26, so we won&rsquo;t know who Talarico will face &mdash; incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, viewed as the establishment choice with all the establishment vices that come along with it, or state Attorney General Ken Paxton, who has genuine conservative bona fides but has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/texas-ag-paxton-returns-4-month-impeachment-trial-find-bidens-border-antics\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">struggled to shed character-related issues<\/a> during the campaign.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolling.com\/latest-polls\/senate\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RealClearPolitics<\/a> polling average shows both prospective Republicans ahead, but by slim margins &mdash; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/trump-confirms-will-withhold-endorsing-cornyn-save-act-desk-also-makes-another-demand\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cornyn<\/a> 44, Talarico 43 versus Paxton 46, Talarico 44. Cornyn has tried to position himself as boring but electable while his opponent is flawed and beatable; Paxton has cast his opponent as a Beltway creature far removed from the average Texas voter while he represents a reason for Republicans to go out to the polls.<\/p>\n<p>However, sans the whole runoff part, this sounds awfully familiar, particularly the Trump-era midterm and the vulnerable Republican incumbent with a hard-charging Democrat.<\/p>\n<p>From <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/elections\/beto-o-rourke-shatters-fundraising-records-38-million-quarter-n919476\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NBC News<\/a>, Oct. 12, 2018:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p><em>  Texas Democrat Beto O&rsquo;Rourke announced Friday that his Senate campaign has raised an unprecedented $38.1 million in the last fundraising quarter, a sum that shatters records for Senate races and rivals totals from past presidential campaigns.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>O&rsquo;Rourke, who faces incumbent Republican Ted Cruz in November, has highlighted small donations from individuals and eschewed special interest PACs. His campaign noted Friday that more than 800,000 individuals have contributed to his campaign, which has benefited from viral moments that have enamored the young Democratic congressman to progressives nationwide. <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>&ldquo;The people of Texas in all 254 counties are proving that when we reject PACs and come together not as Republicans or Democrats but as Texans and Americans, there&rsquo;s no stopping us,&rdquo; O&rsquo;Rourke said in a statement.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Actually, there&nbsp;<em>was<\/em> stopping O&rsquo;Rourke; despite the fact that he did surprisingly well, Beto still finished roughly three points behind, 51 to 49 percent.<\/p>\n<p>It was, again, a race where the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-white-house-says-vulnerable-senate-dems-are-playing-politics-on-pandemic-safety\/\" title=\"Biden White House Says Vulnerable ...ate Dems Are Playing \u2018Politics\u2019 on Pandemic Safety\">polling data showed<\/a> them surprisingly close; using the same <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolitics.com\/epolls\/2018\/senate\/tx\/texas_senate_cruz_vs_orourke-6310-test.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RealClearPolitics<\/a> aggregate, O&rsquo;Rourke&rsquo;s fundraising had put the seat into play, with the two separated by about 3-4 points between September and October. While Cruz opened up a lead in the polls throughout October into November &mdash; one assumes that might have been the Brett Kavanaugh effect, as voters in red states rallied around the Supreme Court nominee during the Christine Blasey Ford pillorying &mdash; the race still ended up being close.<\/p>\n<p>It was also about as close as the polls indicated before Kavanaugh, and the Democrats had a huge money advantage &mdash; not to mention the fact that the media fawned over the diaphoretic charlatan O&rsquo;Rourke as if he were a rock star.<\/p>\n<p>If you don&rsquo;t believe me, here&rsquo;s an ABC News reporter literally telling Beto, &ldquo;You&rsquo;re a rock star!&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-embed\"> <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"ABC Reporter to Beto O&rsquo;Rourke - &lsquo;You&rsquo;re a Rock Star&rsquo;\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EEuRzo6juuw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>There was also the fact that Beto was basically a cipher; whatever beliefs you wanted to project onto him, you could. Cruz, meanwhile, was someone the media was all too happy to cast as a villain, a fake, and a curmudgeon even when there weren&rsquo;t people running against him.<\/p>\n<p>Talarico, both a state representative and &ldquo;Presbyterian seminarian&rdquo; (as he is invariably described), <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/jasmine-crockett-concedes-texas-senate-primary-attention-focuses-radical-dem-beat\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">has a lot of receipts<\/a>, and seeks to add to them:<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">SICK!<\/p>\n<p>Texas Democrat Senate nominee James Talarico &mdash; who&rsquo;s allegedly a devout Christian &mdash; is now talking about &ldquo;God&rsquo;s sausage&rdquo; and defends saying &ldquo;God is nonbinary.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>What is wrong with this sick freak? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/1ZZC6kAdIL\">pic.twitter.com\/1ZZC6kAdIL<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RNCResearch\/status\/2035040202578669913?\">March 20, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">James Talarico: &ldquo;God is nonbinary.&rdquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/yr2Tf8iIxT\">pic.twitter.com\/yr2Tf8iIxT<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Defiant L&rsquo;s (@DefiantLs) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DefiantLs\/status\/2029537410321993958?\">March 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Texas senate hopeful James Talarico uses the gnostic &lsquo;Gospel of Thomas&rsquo; to prove that Jesus was a feminist, offering that men must not be male, but must be female, and vice versa. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/QjGOMPympG\">pic.twitter.com\/QjGOMPympG<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Protestia (@Protestia) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Protestia\/status\/2029269294362628217?\">March 4, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Texas James Talarico: &ldquo;For me, prophetic voices like Jesus have helped me reckon with my own whiteness, my own masculinity, my own certainty, my own ego. It&rsquo;s a never-ending process, and it&rsquo;s a painful process&rdquo;<a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/eFvL6tmW1Z\">pic.twitter.com\/eFvL6tmW1Z<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Defiant L&rsquo;s (@DefiantLs) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DefiantLs\/status\/2029617947535433733?\">March 5, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>This isn&rsquo;t just 2018 Beto, who was like if you fed ChatGPT the prompt, &ldquo;Give me the average, unremarkable Democrat who might plausibly win a statewide upset in Texas,&rdquo; and the only thing it goofed on was the sweatiness. He&rsquo;s a real lefty with real (and really bad) ideas.<\/p>\n<p>And the reason we&rsquo;re hearing about them right now, finally, is because Paxton and Cornyn are too busy beating each other up to focus much on Talarico, other than ensuring whoever remains undecided that they&rsquo;re better equipped to beat him than the other louse. Talarico doesn&rsquo;t have that challenge, since he cleared 50 percent of the vote in his primary against the risible Rep. Jasmine Crockett. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/breaking-jasmine-crockett-gets-stomped-primary-even-democrats-find-tolerating-presence-impossible\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">More&rsquo;s the pity<\/a>, because that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/jasmine-crockett-go-sleep-democracy-may-die\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">would have been hysterical<\/a>. But I digress.)<\/p>\n<p>Sometime on the night of May 26 &mdash; or, more likely, in the early morning hours of May 27 &mdash; this will promptly cease. Someone will concede, and all the negative attention of the GOP will suddenly turn, for the first time, on James Talarico. Because conservatives aren&rsquo;t hearing <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/republican-sen-john-cornyn-calls-gop-change-filibuster-pass-save-act-prepares-primary-runoff-ken-paxton\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Paxton<\/a> or Cornyn talk about how horrid the other is, the winner&rsquo;s poll numbers will go up overnight. And, unlike in 2018, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/midterms-trumps-future-line-gop-brags-7-1-cash-advantage-debt-saddled-democrats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GOP establishment is hardly penurious this time around<\/a>, especially compared to the Democrats, and is willing to dump massive amounts of money into Texas to ensure that it stays red once it knows who the nominee is.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps I&rsquo;m reading this on the first Tuesday in November and realizing how stupid this all was. I find it significantly more likely, however, that if I&rsquo;m re-reading my own stuff regarding Talarico and his fundraising hauls that day, it&rsquo;ll be in the vein of reminding myself that the Democrats&rsquo; official motto ought to be &ldquo;Those Who Do Not Learn From History Are Doomed To&hellip; What&rsquo;s That Last Part Again?&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Well, either that, or to listen to the Smiths&rsquo; &ldquo;Stop Me If You Think That You&rsquo;ve Heard This One Before.&rdquo; Great song, by the way. And probably not the last time I&rsquo;ll have the chance to reference it in the frame of the media casting Texas fundraising totals as augury of electoral successes to come.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here\u2019s a concise paraphrase of the provided text:<\/p>\n<p>The piece opens with a jumble of code and a Morrissey lyric used as a framing device to discuss Texas politics. It argues that Democrat James Talarico is emerging as a credible challenger in the Texas U.S. Senate race, aided by a surprisingly large fundraising haul and growing public attention. Talarico, a state representative and Presbyterian seminarian, won the Democratic nomination in March over Jasmine Crockett and says he has raised more than $27 million in the first quarter and over $10 million since the primary. Democrats hope he can at least put Texas in play on a national map that generally favors Republicans.<\/p>\n<p>Talarico\u2019s general-election foe will be the winner of the May 26 Republican runoff between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and State Attorney General Ken Paxton. RealClearPolitics polls show both possible Republicans leading Talarico by only slim margins, suggesting a tight race. The piece contrasts this with the 2018 Beto O\u2019Rourke run, noting that O\u2019Rourke raised record-breaking money and drew heavy media attention but ultimately lost by a few points, despite a perceived strong fundraising performance. It argues that Paxton and Cornyn are spending heavily to keep Texas red, and it cites social-media posts and satire that portray Talarico in controversial lights (e.g., remarks deemed out of step with some voters).<\/p>\n<p>The author indulges in a speculative forecast about the runoff outcome and the media\u2019s focus in the event of a Talarico surge, returning to the idea that Texas politics often mirrors past patterns. The piece closes with a nod to the Smiths\u2019 lyric, underscoring the sense that history may repeat itself.<\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019d like a shorter summary, a more neutral recap, or a focus on a specific part (fundraising, polling, or media coverage), tell me and I\u2019ll tailor it<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2591514,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-04-16T102532.182.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[72963,15467,74022,73661,74740],"class_list":["post-2591513","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-campaignfinance","tag-fundraising","tag-jamestalarico","tag-senateelection","tag-texaspolitics"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2026-04-16T102532.182.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2591513","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2591513"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2591513\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2591517,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2591513\/revisions\/2591517"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2591514"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2591513"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2591513"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2591513"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}