James Talarico clinches Texas Democratic Primary: All you need to know about the ex-teacher who won Obama's praise

James Talarico, a lawmaker and a Democrat, defeated Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett in the race for Democratic primary for the Texas Senate on Wednesday (local time).

He will now be facing the winner of the Republican runoff, which is set to take place on 26 May, and will either compete with Sen. John Cornyn or state Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Talarico studied at the University of Texas at Austin and holds a degree from Harvard University.

He is a Presbyterian seminarian (someone who studies at a theological school), and put his Christian faith at the centre of his campaign and made a commanding lead over Congresswoman Crockett. According to a New York Times report, Talarico is the grandson of a Baptist preacher, and he blends his biblical references into his progressive political arguments. In the Ezra Klein Show, he said, "Economic justice is mentioned 3,000 times in our Scriptures, and added, “It’s nowhere to be seen in Christian nationalism or on the religious right.” He says he plans to eventually become a minister.

Talarico's website states that in 2018, he ran for the Texas House for the first time. He is known for his engagement with faith-based voters as part of his campaign and his progressive politics.

Last month, Talarico recorded a 15-minute interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Although the segment was uploaded online, it did not air on television. During the broadcast, Colbert said CBS lawyers had firmly advised that the interview could not be shown on TV due to Trump administration guidance on providing balanced airtime to political candidates. CBS denied preventing the interview from being aired. Regardless, the episode proved advantageous for Talarico: the clip garnered over two million views on YouTube, and his campaign said it raised about $2.5 million within 24 hours of the recording.

Talarico was also accused of calling former Representative Colin Allred a "mediocre Black man" during a private conversation. The New York Times report suggests that the allegation came from Morgan Thompson, a political content creator, who claimed Talarico remarked at a campaign event in January. Denying the accusation, Talarico said that his words were distorted.

Talarico is known to bring his message to conservative and non-traditional media. He has previously sparred with Fox News' host and also participated in a two-and-a-half-hour conversation with Joe Rogan, the widely followed podcaster whose audience skews heavily male. Rogan later said he was impressed, suggesting Talarico should consider a presidential run and calling him a “good person.”

He has also drawn praise from former President Barack Obama. Speaking on comedian Marc Maron’s podcast last October, Obama highlighted Talarico’s authenticity and integrity, describing him as “terrific” and a “really talented young man.”

As a state lawmaker, Talarico has positioned himself as a critic of billionaire mega-donors and what he describes as establishment politicians dominating Texas politics.

He is now campaigning for the US Senate, pledging to continue his anti-corruption efforts in Washington and shift power toward working Americans.