Texas state Rep. James Talarico is centering his U.S. Senate campaign on public education and health costs, drawing on his experience as a former teacher ahead of the Nov. 3, 2026, election.
The Texas Secretary of State's certified ballot lists Talarico as the Democratic candidate and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton as the Republican candidate. Libertarian Ted Brown is also listed for the seat, giving voters three candidates in the race.
Talarico was first elected to the Texas House in 2018, after teaching middle school on San Antonio's West Side, according to his legislative biography. His campaign says he taught language arts to sixth graders in San Antonio. The House profile also credits him with work involving school finance, student mental-health programs and child-care affordability.
His education platform calls for higher teacher pay and universal prekindergarten. The campaign says public money should remain in public schools and argues voucher programs redirect that funding. It presents these proposals as part of its effort to make public education central to his Senate bid.
Talarico's health care platform calls for lower prescription costs and action on medical debt. The Texas House biography notes he has Type 1 diabetes and credits him with measures that capped insulin copays at $25 per month and permitted Texas to import lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada.
Federal Election Commission data show Talarico's authorized campaign committees reported $128,772,835.42 in total receipts and $114,178,603.57 in disbursements from Sept. 8, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2026. The committees had $14,594,231.85 in cash on hand at the end of that reporting period.
In-person early voting began Monday, Oct. 19, and runs through Oct. 30, according to the Texas Secretary of State's election calendar. Election Day is Nov. 3, 2026.
