Texas Democrat James Talarico is working to define himself as a moderate on energy and other issues, as Republicans escalate their plans to label him an anti-fossil fuel radical.
Now that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has secured the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate — unseating longtime incumbent John Cornyn — both sides are turning their full attention to a general election contest that could help decide the balance of power in Washington next year.
Paxton has been a defender of the state’s oil and gas industry and has used his perch as attorney general to fight federal rules. Talarico, a state representative, has also spoken warmly about fossil fuel jobs.
“I’ve called out the extremes in both parties, on the right and left, and as you know, called out President Biden for failing to secure our southern border,” Talarico told POLITICO in an interview after Paxton’s win.
