James Talarico’s Plans for America

The Texas state representative is now the Democratic nominee for Senate. Depending on how the Republican runoff goes, we could be in for quite the November.

View in Browser  Wednesday, March 04, 2026 I know, we've seen this one before: a Promising Young Democrat (PYD) in Texas gains national attention (Hello, Beto O'Rourke!) and people on the left believe the PYD can turn The Lone Star State blue. Except they don't. Last night, the latest PYD emerged: Texas State Representative James Talarico, who beat Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic Senate primary. (The Republican race went to a runoff.) Talarico should be a competitive candidate in November, and a lot will happen between now and then that may affect the race. So you never know! What would a Talarico win mean for America? Esquire's Chris Hatler asked him this question last year. His answer speaks volumes. You can read it below.   —Michael Sebastian, editor in chief Plus: What I've Learned: Jasmine Crockett The Texas Senate runoffs are going to be a bloodbath Exclusive: Your Friends & Neighbors season 2 breaks all the rules What Can America Expect from James Talarico? The Texas state representative is now the Democratic nominee for Senate. Depending on how the Republican runoff goes, we could be in for quite the November. In a very closely watched Senate primary election, state representative James Talarico beat firebrand (anyone else tired of that adjective?) House member Jasmine Crockett to become Texas's Democratic nominee. Politics ain't the kind of game in which everybody wins, and it's unfortunate that the Lone Star State had two rising Democratic stars pitted against each other. As Esquire political columnist Charles P. Pierce wrote yesterday, "This is a matchup that nobody should lose, but somebody is going to lose, and that's going to be too bad in the long term. In other words, Democrats. Boy, I dunno." Talarico found his winning strategy by reaching across the aisle to recruit independents and Republicans. In addition to touting his Christian faith, he's been focusing on one issue everyone in Texas seems to agree on: "I've been outspoken about the billionaire mega donors who basically run our state government. And if that's true in Texas, it's certainly true at a national level, increasingly so," he told Esquire last August, a month before he announced his plan to run for Senate. READ THE STORY NFL prospect Gennings Dunker has gone viral for, well—you just have to see him. Brady Langmann dives deep on the former Iowa Hawkeyes lineman. >> Oura Ring vs. Apple Watch, which is the ultimate wearable piece of lifestyle tech? Bryn Gelbart settles the debate. >> The Hardworking Backpack I'll Never Travel Without When you're heading somewhere for a long weekend, which, as a New York City resident, I try to do as often as I can, packing and the luggage you use for it is always a Goldilocks situation. If you're heading up Thursday night and coming back Sunday, you've got a pretty minimal checklist: clothes, pajamas, toiletries, and a laptop (if you lied and said you plan to "work from home" on Friday). A duffel bag or small suitcase has some room to spare, which is cool until until you're wrestling it into the trunk of your car and trying to make it fit with everyone else's luggage like a cruel game of Tetris. But your everyday backpack or tote bag is bursting at the seams as you try to stuff in the pajamas you almost forgot to pack. My answer to this predicament will always be Portland Gear's Cascade backpack. By Bellamy Richardson How Ludwig Göransson's Scores Became the Main Character "Blues music changed my dad's life, and it made him put a guitar in my hands," Göransson tells us. The young Metallica fan would grow up to work with some of the most celebrated directors of the 21st century, composing award-winning music for films such as Black Panther and Oppenheimer—both of which aggressively defied genre conventions. His latest, for Sinners (in which he teamed up again with Panther director Ryan Coogler) will most likely earn him another Oscar, which will sit next to his Best Original Score trophies for Panther and Oppenheimer. "I'm working with the best storytellers, not just filmmakers, and it takes a lot out of you when you're really giving it your all," Göransson says. "I become so obsessed because I love the work so much." By Josh Rosenberg Follow Us Unsubscribe | Manage Preferences | Privacy Notice | CA Notice at Collection Esquire is a publication of Hearst Magazines. ©2026 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This email was sent by Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019-3779