Republicans are scared of Talarico. CNN town hall shows why | Opinion

Republicans are scared of Talarico. CNN town hall demonstrates why Opinion Republicans picked a bad candidate in Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Key points

• He obtained choked up speaking concerning his own experience being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes in 2018 and paying $684 for his first round of insulin.
• It's clear that Republicans are doing this since they see the writing on the wall: They picked a bad candidate in Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
• While I appreciate that CNN had voters from throughout the political spectrum represented at the event, it would have been even better to see Talarico debate Paxton.
• These races are in the spotlight for their potential to change control of Congress.
• It was a stark contrast to the image of Talarico that Republicans have put out in recent days.

Who is running the midterm elections? These races are in the spotlight for their potential to change control of Congress.

James Talarico is back on the campaign trail. At a CNN and Jubilee town hall on Oct. 14, the U.S. Senate candidate created the case for why Texas should elect its first Democrat in the 21st century by prioritizing economic matters, immigration reform and working throughout the aisle.

"I am tired of us being divided into teams: left versus right, blue versus red, urban versus rural, " Talarico informed the crowd. It was divided by political party, at the top of the town hall. "The truth is we're all on the same team."

It was a stark contrast to the image of Talarico that Republicans have put out in recent days. It range from Vice President JD Vance's blatantly homophobic joke to the bizarre, false statement from President Donald Trump that the state lawmaker was lately off the campaign trail as he obtained sick from eating meat after being vegan for years. Earlier in the week, a right-wing conspiracy theory spread online that Talarico was receiving mental health treatment at an Ohio hospital. It both the Talarico campaign and the hospital itself proved to be untrue.

"Conspiracy theorists can post anything they want on the internet, " Talarico remarked during the town hall. "They obtain clicks. The billionaires who own these platforms obtain rich. We all obtain angry, and nobody's life gets any better. Conspiracy theories don't put food on the table. They don't put gas in the tank. They don't actually improve our communities."

It's clear that Republicans are doing this since they see the writing on the wall: They picked a bad candidate in Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. This person refuses to debate the Democratic nominee. Polling clearly demonstrates the GOP has something to worry concerning.

Talarico is exactly who Texans need if they want things to improve.

It was a solid showing from Talarico – one that, if the undecided voters of Texas paid attention to it, might persuade them to vote for the Democrat. He was clear in his policy intends and political beliefs while connecting the matters to his personal experiences and faith.

"One, I want to roll back the cuts to the Affordable Care Act, because those cuts are driving up premiums, sometimes $1, 000 a month for Texans, " Talarico remarked when asked concerning legislation he would introduce if elected. "I want to cap the cost of more lifesaving drugs like EpiPens and cancer drugs. And then I think we need a robust public option that can compete with the for-profit health insurance firms in this country." Ilhan Omar raid is Trump's playbook. Stop acting surprised Opinion.

Talarico is clearly more moderate than he presented himself to be in the Democratic primary election and created his beliefs clear during the town hall. He remarked he does not backing abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He defended the oil and gas industries, saying he would stand up to his own party if it threatened them. He is a capitalist, although he remarked he does not backing the current state of our economy. It he calls "crony capitalism."

In other ways, Talarico created clear his robust progressive beliefs: He was steadfast in supporting abortion rights in Texas. It has a total abortion ban. He remarked he wants to secure rid of super PACs. He wants to raise teacher pay.

While I do find some of the positions he took at the town hall frustrating on a personal level, I realize that I'm judging him as a New York resident, not a Texas one. I believe that he is the most progressive option for Texas, and he's a pretty good one.

Polls are shouting in favor of Talarico in Texas. We'll see Opinion.

Paxton keeps hiding and hoping Texans will be blind to his failures.

In the second half of the town hall, voters debated Talarico on problems they disagreed on. This was the time when the Senate candidate obtained the hardest questions, including a question from a rabbi concerning Israel and a small business owner who asked him regarding his previous statement that "God is nonbinary."

Throughout, Talarico remained composed, agreed to disagree at points while trying to find common ground overall.

While I appreciate that CNN had voters from throughout the political spectrum represented at the event, it would have been even better to see Talarico debate Paxton. Too bad the Republican is nowhere to be discovered.

Notably, the Texas attorney general has refused to debate his opponent to this point. Paxton, known for being a subdued public speaker with a tarnished record, knows he would look foolish. Yet I worry that the lack of a debate leaves undecided voters without the opportunity to hear from Republicans.

Republican leaders are clearly scared of Talarico. They should be. From what I saw at the town hall, he has what it takes to win over undecided voters and turn out the vote among Democrats. Since they lose on substance, texans need to look past the partisan blinders Republicans rely on to win. Follow USA TODAY columnist Sara Pequeño on Bluesky: @sarapequeno.bsky.social. Share your feedback to support improve our site!

In short, republicans are scared of Talarico. CNN town hall shows why is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.