Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico likened Republican rival Ken Paxton to an “obnoxious” bar patron during his final campaign appearance before Election Day.
Talarico drew a crowd of anxious Democrats to downtown Austin’s Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater on Monday night, as supporters waited to see whether a Democrat could win statewide office in Texas for the first time in 32 years.
Speaking alongside Democratic gubernatorial nominee Gina Hinojosa, the 37-year-old state representative filled his remarks with pop-culture references and a barroom comparison aimed at Paxton that resonated with his beer-drinking audience.
“Every Texas bar has those regulars—the ones who buy a round, check on the person drinking alone, and share a laugh, a story or their fried pickles,” Talarico said.
“Every bar also has that one guy,” he continued. “He’s loud. He’s obnoxious. He makes everyone uncomfortable. He hears you tell the bartender your name, then adds his drink to your tab when you’re not looking.”
“That’s Ken Paxton,” Talarico declared to cheers. “And I don’t know about y’all, but I am done picking up his tab!”
Paxton, Texas’ attorney general, was endorsed by President Donald Trump over the state’s incumbent senator, Republican John Cornyn. He has faced several corruption scandals and was impeached by members of his own party.
Late polls showed Paxton trailing Talarico by seven points. Democrats must gain four seats in Tuesday’s midterm elections to take control of the Senate.
Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico held his final 2026 midterm rally at Stubb’s Bar-B-Q’s Waller Creek Amphitheater in downtown Austin, where he compared Republican rival Ken Paxton to an “obnoxious” bar patron
Supporters packed Stubb’s Bar-B-Q’s Waller Creek Amphitheater for Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico’s final speech before Election Day, with polls showing the Democrat ahead
Talarico called Paxton “the most corrupt politician in Texas history” and criticized billionaire Elon Musk, who has contributed at least $168 million to support the Republican’s campaign.
“I want to be a senator for every Texan who can’t afford one,” the Democrat said.
He said Texas needed a candidate who offered a better vision—and was willing to dream on a larger scale.
Talarico spoke about his mother and the lessons she taught him: “Texas is beautiful, Texas is bold and, most importantly, Texas is big.”
“Big hair, big hearts and big dreams,” he added.
“Our athletes are celebrated around the world: Cowboys, Spurs, Longhorns. Our musicians are so iconic they need only one name: Willie, Selena, Beyoncé,” he said.
“This won’t happen overnight, but a giant state deserves giant dreams,” Talarico said.
His supporters said they were balancing optimism with nerves.
Supporters of Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico told Our News Outlet they were both nervous and hopeful about his prospects, as no Democrat has won statewide office in Texas in 32 years
Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa, left, joined Senate candidate James Talarico, right, onstage at a final rally in downtown Austin before the 2026 midterm election
“I am very hopeful, but I’m not overconfident. This is going to be a really tough race,” David Marchman, a 67-year-old Austin retiree, told Our News Outlet. “There are going to be turnout issues tomorrow, even. But I feel there’s a lot of energy behind him across the state right now, so I feel very good about that.”
Marchman said he felt “absolutely” more confident in Talarico’s chances than he had in Democratic Representative Beto O’Rourke’s 2018 campaign, when O’Rourke came within 2.6 points of defeating Republican Senator Ted Cruz.
At that time, O’Rourke appeared capable of overtaking Cruz, although polls continued to show him behind the Republican incumbent.
Maggie Theis, 18, a freshman at UT Austin, said she had been studying the contest in class and believed it would come down to a nail-biting finish.
“But it’s really just going to be so cutthroat and so close,” she told Our News Outlet.
Her friend Ben Webb, 19, another UT Austin freshman who works for a state legislator, said he was feeling “bullish” because O’Rourke had never overtaken Cruz in the polls.
“In this election, Talarico has been consistently ahead,” Webb said. “I think he’s going to pull it off.”
Webb then showed that Talarico’s joke about the troublesome bar patron had made its mark on the crowd.
“Win or lose, we booze,” he told Our News Outlet.
“If Talarico wins, it’s a night I want to remember. And if Paxton wins, it’s a night I want to forget,” Webb said.
