Looks like the campaign for Texas Democrat Senate nominee James Talarico has finally realized it has a serious problem on its hands.
After Tuesday’s runoff primary in Texas, the campaign suddenly shifted into overdrive trying to clean up Talarico’s public image and smooth over years of bizarre comments and awkward political branding. The issue is that none of this is new. The comments have been out there for a long time, voters have already seen them, and they’ve already shaped how many Texans view him.
Even President Donald Trump recently mocked Talarico over some of the strange clips circulating online and handed him a nickname that immediately stuck.
Then came the latest attempt at damage control.
After social media users laughed at earlier campaign photos and joked that Talarico didn’t exactly look ready to “take back Texas,” Democrats rolled out another carefully staged image. This time, he was wearing a Texas flag-themed shirt while chewing on a beef rib, apparently trying to prove he’s relatable and culturally in sync with Texas voters.
The whole thing felt less authentic and more like a political focus group project.
Texas: James Talarico is the only candidate who will put you first. pic.twitter.com/5AZdWTl1Rl
— Democrats (@TheDemocrats) May 27, 2026
Even former Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger, who has spent years criticizing Trump and distancing himself from the GOP, could see how badly the effort was landing. Responding online, Kinzinger wrote, “No offense but you guys need new social media folks.”
That probably wasn’t the endorsement the campaign was hoping for.
Talarico also sat down for an interview with CBS News senior political correspondent Ed O’Keefe, where he attempted to walk back some of what he called his past “cringey comments.” The problem is that there are so many controversial clips and statements floating around that it’s hard to know which ones he even meant.
And generally speaking, once a candidate starts explaining and reinterpreting years of old statements this early in a campaign, it’s because the campaign knows those statements are becoming politically damaging.
“There are some statements that I’ve made that I certainly regret,” Talarico admitted during the interview.
But instead of simply taking responsibility for them, he tried to shift blame toward Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, claiming Paxton was “intentionally clipping” his comments. That defense falls apart pretty quickly considering the comments themselves are real and publicly available. Paxton didn’t invent them. Voters are reacting to things Talarico actually said.
What makes the situation even harder for Democrats is how obvious the rebranding effort has become. The campaign now wants Texans to see Talarico as a moderate, mainstream candidate after years of rhetoric and activism that painted a much more progressive picture.
Talarico also attempted to attack Paxton over legal controversies, claiming he has a “criminal record.” But Paxton was never convicted of a crime. At the same time, Talarico has vulnerabilities of his own that are increasingly difficult to ignore, particularly criticism surrounding his attendance record in the Texas House of Representatives.
Reports showing he missed more than 800 votes have already become a major issue. And notably, it wasn’t just Republicans raising concerns about it. During the Democratic primary, Rep. Jasmine Crockett also highlighted the missed votes, making it harder for Talarico to dismiss the criticism as partisan attacks.
Fired up. Ready to go.
It’s time to take back Texas. pic.twitter.com/BaFsUGOgSp
— Democrats (@TheDemocrats) May 27, 2026
Talarico has similarly tried to reposition himself on border security, claiming he spoke out against Joe Biden’s handling of the border crisis. But much of the evidence being cited came after Biden had already left office and after Talarico had launched his Senate campaign, making the criticism look more politically convenient than principled.
Then there’s the broader identity problem hanging over the campaign.
Talarico previously embraced highly progressive messaging, including comments about gender ideology and promoting what he once described as a “vegan campaign” because of the “existential” importance of climate change. Now the campaign message suddenly revolves around barbecue, Texas imagery, and carefully staged attempts to look culturally familiar to moderate voters.
That kind of abrupt shift naturally raises questions.
If those beliefs were truly existential a few years ago, why are they suddenly taking a back seat now? Did his views genuinely change, or did the political strategy change?
The CBS segment did little to answer those questions. If anything, it felt more like an effort to rehabilitate Talarico’s image than a tough interview meant to challenge inconsistencies in his record and messaging.
Political reinventions are never easy, especially in the social media era where old clips and comments never really disappear. And when a campaign is already spending the opening days of the general election walking back past statements and trying to remake the candidate from scratch, it usually means they know voters are noticing the disconnect.
