Texas Democrat James Talarico for VP? We asked him. Here’s what he said | Opinion
It’s one of the most predictable rhythms in politics: A likeable Texas Democrat rises to prominence. He or she is nominated statewide. Money pours in from around the country. Polls show the candidate is competitive, with a chance to break the 30-year Republican lock on Texas.
Before that candidate can so much as lace up sneakers for the fall, someone suggests he or she would make a strong Democratic candidate for vice president or even president.
If James Talarico’s run for U.S. Senate was one of those old mall-map kiosks, the dot would be on the last step with the label “you are here.”
Podcaster and professor Scott Galloway kicked off the speculation, saying on his show “Pivot” that if Talarico can pull the upset against either John Cornyn or Ken Paxton in the fall, “he’s likely or very likely to be the vice presidential pick in 2028.”
The Austin arm of the news organization Axios fleshed out the idea, reporting that the Talarico campaign declined to comment.
I asked Talarico about it in February. His answer, while predictable, is instructive.
In our Editorial Board’s interview as part of our endorsement in the Senate race, I asked Talarico if he would pledge to Texans to serve a full six-year Senate term if elected. He answered unequivocally: “Yes.”
Then, with a laugh that may have been hiding mild annoyance, the four-term state representative protested that the question was premature.
“I’m trying to win this primary on March 3,” he said. “You’re jumping three steps ahead.”
He did, of course, prevail in that primary over U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Dallas.
The rest of his answer showed some political wisdom — and suggested he had considered the matter before. Maybe he just immediately knew what he wanted to say. Either way, the response was polished and exactly what it needed to be: humble yet aspirational.
“There’s an old saying that if you look past the next election, you might not get past the next election,” Talarico told us. “And in my experience so far in politics, that’s absolutely true. So, I am focused on winning this primary and that’s it. But I will commit, if I win this race, to serving my full term.”
Galloway’s logic was sound. If he wins, the podcaster argued, Democrats may think “as VP he can deliver Texas, [and] it’s game over.”
He went on to say that VP candidates are often picked with swing states in mind. That’s a bit outdated — most political pros will tell you that a running mate usually can’t deliver a state. The last one selected with that in mind might have been John Edwards, whom Democrat John Kerry tapped in 2004. (And for what it’s worth, that ticket did not win Edwards’ home of North Carolina.)
Presidential nominees now look for someone who can reinforce their message, deliver effective attacks on the other side, satisfy some party constituency and appeal to a demographic group.
The allure of Talarico would include putting Texas in play, but it would be driven more by his youth, vitality and appeal to swing voters.
Of course, he’s got to win first.
Or does he?
O’Rourke got drawn into the 2020 presidential race after losing his Senate bid to Ted Cruz. Excitement lingered from the fact that he came closer than any Democrat in a generation, and his presidential campaign launched with a Vanity Fair magazine cover that rang of smug entitlement.
In hindsight, that brief campaign probably ruined O’Rourke’s chances of ever winning in Texas. He pushed hard to the left and flamed out before a vote was cast, having rebranded himself as an opportunist and a gun-grabber. In 2022, he lost the race for governor to Greg Abbott by a standard margin for a statewide Democrat.
If Talarico wins and goes to Washington as The Man Who Flipped Texas, a smooth-talking giant killer in his mid-30s, some Democrats will want him at the top of their national ticket, let alone No. 2. He’ll have to at least consider it.
And his pledge not to won’t impede him. Plenty of voters may question whether he’s ready for such a big leap, either in politics or actual governing. But that’s different from any concern that he’s breaking a campaign promise. If there’s a desire for him to run, what he told the Editorial Board won’t hamper him.
After all, in January 2006, famed “Meet the Press” moderator Tim Russert asked a young senator getting nationwide buzz the same question I posed to Talarico. Here’s how that exchange went:
Senator: I will serve out my full six-year term.
Russert: So you will not run for president or vice president in 2008?
Senator: I will not.
Three years and nine days later, Barack Obama took the oath of office as the 44th president of the United States.
This story was originally published May 6, 2026 at 12:27 PM with the headline "Texas Democrat James Talarico for VP? We asked him. Here’s what he said | Opinion."
