While James Talarico has a better chance than most to win the U.S. Senate race, I still don’t think he is the chosen one for Democrats dreaming of a blue Texas.

Texas Rep. James Talarico is the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate. While we will wait a couple of months to see who his Republican opponent will be, Democratic leaders have already started strategizing. 

Talarico’s brand is that he is a White religious man. The emphasis on religion is central to his campaign, in which the state lawmaker uses it to justify all sorts of radical policy positions. 

Democrats are making the same mistakes they have made for years in Texas. While Talarico has a better chance than most to win the U.S. Senate race, I still don’t think he is the chosen one for Democrats dreaming of a blue Texas. 

Talarico is a radical whom Democrats expect to launder as a moderate. Texas voters will see through such efforts. 

Democrats think being a White guy makes you moderate

We saw this approach when Vice President Kamala Harris chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her 2024 presidential running mate. In the case of Walz, the impression party leaders wanted to give off was that of a typical Midwest suburban dad.

In the case of Talarico, it’s a young Texan Christian man.

Opinion: Texas GOP faces a tough choice if we want to beat Talarico

This also isn’t the first time Democrats have tried this in Texas. The last time they seriously deluded themselves into thinking they could win statewide in Texas, they ran former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who, at the time, was crowned the savior of Texas Democrats for very similar superficial reasons, despite being rather uninspiring politically.

He came close to defeating Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018. O’Rourke was more forthcoming about his radical nature, particularly on guns.

Talarico is not O’Rourke. He has used religion to justify his pro-abortion positions.

Referring to racism, Talarico has proclaimed on social media, “White skin gives me and every white American immunity from the virus. But we spread it wherever we go ‒ through our words, our actions, and our systems. We don’t have to be showing symptoms ‒ like a white hood or a Confederate flag ‒ to be contagious.”

He supports Medicare for all and eliminating the filibuster. He has said that there are six biological sexes. None of this is moderate.

Democrats let race and gender influence their strategy poorly

Talarico may be closer to moderates within the Democratic Party, but none of them have the appeal needed to win statewide in a place like Texas or many other Republican-leaning states, for that matter. Democrats think that traits that they have superficially associated with being right wing, such as being White, a male, being religious, or a nuclear family structure, are enough to appeal to moderate voters. 

Democrats’ view of race, gender and other superficial characteristics has led to seriously flawed decision-making. We saw this with the narrative around Harris, the first African American and South Asian American woman to become vice president. Democrats thought for some reason that in order for her to appeal to voters, they needed to “balance” the presidential ticket by adding a White man. 

Opinion: Stop having primary elections. They’re useless.

That assumption is rooted in an incorrect thinking that Harris’ unpopularity was because Americans were somehow biased against her because she is a Black woman ‒ rather than that her record was horrible, that she wasn’t an interesting candidate, and that she was the incumbent from a deeply unpopular Biden administration. 

Democrats did a similar thing in explaining away former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s loss to Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential election. There has been all sorts of punditry about how America just wasn’t ready for a woman president. However, anyone seriously analyzing that loss can see that Clinton’s defects as a candidate go far deeper than something as superficial as gender. 

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Today on Texas Eats NOW:

Isidore

221 Newell Ave, San Antonio, TX 78215

Located inside the Pullman Market at the Pearl District, Isidore is a modern steakhouse concept that celebrates the bounty of Texas through elevated ingredients and service. Under the guidance of Chef Jorge Hernandez, who returned to San Antonio after working at multiple Michelin-rated kitchens, the menu highlights artisan-raised beef, local produce, and a deep wine list. Critically, Isidore has been recognized by the Michelin Guide as a starred restaurant for its high quality and distinctive voice in Texas dining. Ideal for a special-occasion dinner where you want something upscale yet rooted in local terroir and Texan flavor.

North Street

216 North St, San Marcos, TX 78666

North Street is a restaurant in San Marcos that serves Indian-fusion cuisine which has a uniquely Indian flavor, while also possessing an approachable and familiar Texan taste. This cozy establishment is great for any foodie who wants to dabble and experience Indian cuisine for the first time. North Street also has a fantastic beer selection, with 24 flavors on tap. Make sure to try their show-stopping curry queso and chicken tikka masala taco for an unforgettable meal.

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EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14/CBS4) — As the deadline to apply for Texas’ new school voucher program approaches, some private schools in El Paso say they are already seeing more interest from families.

The Texas Education Freedom Account program, also known as school vouchers, was created last year when lawmakers passed Senate Bill 2 and Gov. Greg Abbott signed it into law. State leaders set aside about $1 billion to fund the program during its first year.

If selected, families could receive thousands of dollars to help pay for private school or other education expenses.

Most students who use the funding for private school could receive about $10,000 a year. Students with disabilities could receive up to $30,000 depending on their eligibility, while homeschool families could receive about $2,000 for education expenses.

Matthew Macarah, head of Cherry Hill School in El Paso, said the program has led to increased interest from families considering private school.

“For us, we have a lot more interest. We have our returning parents that are interested in it, because we had to raise our tuition,” Macarah said. “But we’ve also had a great growth in interest with the new parents that are coming in and knowing that that door is open, coming to a private school because of the voucher system.”

However, because the program has limited funding, not every student who applies will receive money.

State officials say if demand exceeds available funding, a lottery system will be used. Priority will be given to students with disabilities and families with lower incomes.

Jordan Salas reports on El Paso private school says interest is growing as Texas voucher deadline nears (Credit: KFOX14)

RECOMMENDED: Texas school voucher deadline nears, new data shows El Paso applications

Students selected for the program can only use the funding at schools that have registered to participate.

Private schools are not required to join the program, but state data shows about 31 schools in the El Paso area have signed up so far.

Macarah said the school does not have a set cap on voucher students, but space in classrooms remains a factor.

“Our cap is just based on keeping our class size small,” Macarah said.

According to the Texas Education Freedom Account website, the program will also be subject to oversight and audits.

A private entity will review accounts annually, and the state auditor will also verify that students meet eligibility requirements and that funds are used for approved expenses.

Macarah said schools participating in the program expect that level of oversight.

“Some of the things that we’re expecting are an audit from the state funds to make sure the funds that we get are used appropriately according to the law and the purpose,” Macarah said. “It doesn’t seem overly onerous, and we’re excited to be able to invite more people, more diversity coming into the school.”

Applications for the program remain open until Tuesday. After the deadline, the state will begin reviewing applications and selecting students through the lottery process.

According to the state, families could begin receiving funding notifications as early as April.

More information on the program and how to apply can be found here.

RECOMMENDED: Applications open this week for Texas school voucher program

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