After Tense Houston Meeting, Talarico Promises Millions for Black Voter Outreach as Texans Demand Trust, Accountability and a Seat at the Table
James Talarico is promising a major investment in Black voter outreach as he works to unite Texas Democrats following a divisive primary campaign.
During a Houston town hall Sunday, the Democratic U.S. Senate nominee announced that his campaign would spend $25 million engaging Black voters across Texas. The Texas Tribune reported that the gathering also exposed lingering concerns about whether Talarico has done enough to earn the trust of one of the Democratic Party’s most important voting blocs.
The event, held at the Kingdom Builders Center, gave Black voters and community leaders an opportunity to directly question Talarico about his campaign, policy priorities and strategy for defeating Republican nominee Ken Paxton in November.
Talarico told attendees that Democrats cannot expect Black Texans to support the party without meaningful investment, consistent engagement and attention to their priorities.
“There is no way to win Texas without showing up for, investing in and listening to Black communities across this state,” Talarico said.
He said his campaign’s $25 million outreach commitment would demonstrate that it was serious about reaching Black voters rather than relying solely on opposition to Paxton.
“I’m committing to you here that we will be putting resources where our mouth is, and we’re going to be reaching out to these voters across the state so that we can win this race in November,” Talarico said.
“I don’t want any Texan to vote for me just because they don’t like Ken Paxton,” he added. “I want people to be excited about what we’re trying to do in this movement.”
U.S. Rep. Christian Menefee, D-Houston, introduced Talarico and encouraged voters to openly discuss both their support and their concerns.
Menefee said the Democratic Party has too often treated Black voters as a guaranteed constituency instead of a community whose support must be earned.
“For far too long, the Democratic Party has taken Black folks for granted,” Menefee said.
Primary Divisions Remain Part of the Conversation
Talarico has faced scrutiny from some Black elected officials, activists and political commentators since defeating U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic primary. Crockett received strong support from Black voters during the contest, and some of her supporters have questioned whether Talarico began reaching out to Black communities early or aggressively enough.
Several attendees said they were prepared to support Talarico but wanted to see more evidence that he understood their concerns.
Earnest “Babalola” Goodrich Sr., a local precinct chair who supported Crockett, told Talarico that winning the nomination did not automatically guarantee the support of Black Democrats.
“I am a Crockett supporter, but you sold me,” Goodrich said. “But how are you gonna earn the militant Black Democratic vote?”
Goodrich said he planned to support Talarico but expected the campaign to continue proving itself.
“I want to see more,” he said. “I want you to earn that hard vote.”
Houston Voter Confronts Talarico
The most heated exchange came after campaign staff indicated that the town hall had time for one final question.
Kandice Webber, a Houston nurse and political content creator, interrupted and demanded that Talarico continue answering attendees who had traveled to speak with him.
“Black people don’t trust you for this reason,” Webber said. “And you cannot win without us, so you stay here and you answer our questions — or you suffer the consequences.”
Talarico said he welcomed the criticism and thanked Webber for directly expressing her concerns.
“This is what this conversation’s supposed to be about,” Talarico said.
“This is not the end of a conversation,” he added. “This is the beginning of a conversation.”
Talarico remained onstage to answer additional questions and told attendees he would continue speaking with them during the event’s photo line.
Webber later criticized Talarico’s connection to Teach for America and questioned his record on charter schools. She called on him to support a national moratorium on charter school expansion and meet with parents whose children attend traditional public schools.
Talarico taught middle school for two years through Teach for America before entering politics. As a state representative, he has supported increased public school funding and opposed Gov. Greg Abbott’s private school voucher plan.
However, his past support from Charter Schools Now PAC became an issue during the Democratic primary.
Talarico Defends Jasmine Crockett
The town hall also included questions about Talarico supporters who have attacked Crockett and Black political commentators on social media.
Talarico issued a direct warning to anyone using his campaign as a reason to criticize the congresswoman.
“If you claim to be my supporter, if you claim to be a part of this movement that we are building, please keep Congresswoman Crockett’s name out of your mouth,” Talarico said.
Related: Jasmine Crockett Calls Texas Senate Primary Loss a ‘Racist Race’
He praised Crockett for supporting the campaign after the primary and said she deserved respect from his political coalition.
“The congresswoman has been incredibly helpful,” he said. “She’s done more than she needed to do.”
Talarico said anyone identifying as one of his supporters should treat Crockett “with the respect that she has earned.”
Black Voter Turnout Could Determine the Race
Talarico highlighted interviews with Black media outlets, visits to Black churches and historically Black colleges, and endorsements from Crockett and the Texas Organizing Project.
He also discussed voting rights, health care access, Black maternal mortality, early childhood education and the rising cost of living.
Several Black elected officials attended the event, including Menefee, Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, Houston Mayor Pro Tem Martha Castex-Tatum and state Reps. Alma Allen, Christian Manuel, Ron Reynolds and Lauren Ashley Simmons.
Related: Will Talarico’s Road to the Texas Senate Run Through Black Voters?
Simmons, who supported Crockett in the primary, urged Democrats to move forward together.
“I supported my soror Congresswoman Crockett,” Simmons said. “But like I said, primaries are family fights. So we licked our wounds on Tuesday, and then Wednesday we woke up ready for war.”
Recent polling cited in the original report showed that about 80% of likely Black voters planned to support Talarico over Paxton.
Democratic leaders are less concerned about large numbers of Black voters switching to Paxton than they are about voters staying home or skipping the Senate contest entirely.
That makes turnout especially important in a race expected to be competitive.
More Black Leaders Demand Continued Outreach
State Rep. Jolanda Jones, D-Houston, has also criticized Talarico’s engagement with Black elected officials and community leaders.
After the town hall, Jones invited him to a separate listening session called “The Road to Blue Goes Through Black.”
Talarico previously joined a virtual meeting with Black lawmakers, including Jones and Texas Legislative Black Caucus Chair Barbara Gervin-Hawkins of San Antonio.
Gervin-Hawkins later said she was encouraged by Talarico’s promises to hold more targeted meetings, work with Black media and improve communication with community leaders. In San Antonio, home to just one Black media outlet, the San Antonio Observer, Talarico’s outreach has been minimal– mostly through press releases.
At the Houston town hall, Talarico acknowledged that he had not always returned calls from elected officials quickly enough.
He said his campaign had established a better system for tracking outreach and responding to leaders around the state.
“There’s no way for any one candidate to truly represent the diversity of the state,” Talarico said.
“You have to have a team and not just of staff,” he added, “but also a team of local elected officials, community leaders, faith leaders.”
The $25 million pledge gives Talarico a significant financial commitment to point toward. The Houston town hall, however, showed that Black voters are also looking for sustained access, accountability and evidence that their influence will extend beyond Election Day.
