The gloves are off!
James Talarico, a candidate for the U.S. Senate in Texas, clapped back after Tesla trillionaire Elon Musk’s latest public attack.
Talarico vs Musk
On Wednesday, October 21 — two days after the start of early voting in the Lone Star State — Musk took to his social media platform, X, to slam Talarico.
“There is something deeply wrong with Talarico,” he simply wrote.
Talarico quickly responded, calling out Musk’s contributions to his opponent Ken Paxton campaign, “There is something deeply wrong with a political system that allows one trillionaire to buy his own personal U.S. Senator.”
The former school teacher is on a mission to turn Texas blue for the first time in 30 years. While his campaign has gained traction across the state, Paxton has the support of high-profile Republicans like President Donald Trump.
However, social media users came to Talarico’s defense, calling out Musk’s millions of dollars in contributions to Paxton’s campaign, and government contracts Musk’s companies has secured with the state under Republican politicians.
“Paxton bringing in the richest man on the planet to try and buy votes shows that your movement is working,” one user tweeted. “Keep up the good work, James!”
“Not a surprise that Musk is picking the most corrupt man in Texas to be his personal Senator,” another wrote.
“I hope when you’re in the senate there will be a full inquiry into Musk’s shady business practices,” a third added.
Musk’s Meddling
Musk, the billionaire owner of X and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has increasingly used his platform to weigh in on U.S. politics and has become a major financial backer of Republican candidates. He has contributed $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which directed the money to a super PAC supporting Paxton, according to campaign finance filings reported by ABC News.
Talarico, a Texas state representative and former public school teacher who is also studying to become a Presbyterian minister, has built his campaign around affordability, economic inequality and limiting the influence of wealthy donors. His policy positions include expanding health care access, raising the minimum wage and protecting abortion access. He has also supported LGBTQ+ rights, although he has moderated some of his messaging on transgender issues as he seeks to appeal to voters across Texas.
The two have become increasingly connected in the political conversation in recent weeks. Musk amplified an unfounded conspiracy theory about Talarico’s health earlier in October, prompting the candidate’s campaign to call the claim a lie.
On October 20, Talarico offered his own explanation for Musk’s financial support of Paxton, telling MS NOW that Musk wanted Texas land, water for artificial intelligence data centers and a senator who would serve his interests.
Early voting in Texas closes on Friday, October 3. The midterm election is Tuesday, November 3.
Texas Senate Hopeful James Talarico Claps Back at Elon Musk Ahead of Midterms