James Talarico’s “no meat” controversy explains a lot about America

State Rep. James Talarico, a Democrat from Texas and US Senate candidate, speaks during a Texas primary election night event on Wednesday, March 4, 2026. | Jordan Vonderhaar/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Earlier this month, Texas state Rep. James Talarico eked out victory in a heated race to become Texas’s Democratic nominee for the US Senate race this November. Texans haven’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1988, and a lot of hopes are riding on Talarico’s longshot campaign to change that.