Talarico Draws 4,000 in Red Lubbock as Trump Rallies for Paxton

More than 4,000 people signed up to attend a Tuesday night rally for Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico in Lubbock, Texas, according to his campaign. The event took place in a city of fewer than 300,000 residents, a place that has not hosted a sitting president in 34 years. Talarico, a Democrat running in a district that reliably votes Republican, told the crowd that they were "scared" and "terrified" because they saw the party was about to win the election.

The rally occurred less than three miles from the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center, where President Donald Trump held a separate event for Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton. The proximity of the two gatherings underscored the high stakes of a race that has drawn hundreds of millions of dollars in spending. Talarico currently holds a narrow lead in polling with one week left until the election. His presence in Republican territory signals an effort to secure crossover votes necessary for a victory.

At his event, Talarico criticized the economy, high gas prices, and the closure of rural hospitals. He described Paxton as a corrupt Trump sycophant and blamed tech billionaire Elon Musk for trying to buy his own personal senator. Musk has invested more than $150 million into Paxton’s candidacy while maintaining significant business interests in the state. Talarico told supporters, "We have an affordability crisis because we have a corruption crisis." He added that the race was a chance to defeat "the most corrupt politician in Texas."

Across town, Trump cast Talarico as an out-of-touch extremist who hates guns and meat. Minutes into his speech, the president referred to his rival as "Talafreako." Trump suggested Talarico’s recent absence from the campaign trail, which the candidate attributed to the flu, was caused by a "mental problem" or by being "sick to his stomach" from eating meat. He told the crowd that he and Paxton were the only things standing between Talarico and a Senate seat, adding, "That’s why we can’t afford to lose to some freak."

Paxton, who has faced personal scandals and a difficult primary, leaned heavily on the president’s presence. He told the audience he spent the day with Trump, starting with a stop in Corpus Christi. Paxton claimed Trump told him on the way to Lubbock that he does not usually hold two rallies for a candidate, adding, "He said, ‘I must really like you.’" Paxton replied, "Mr. President, I really like you, too."

In a new move for the midterm campaign, Trump brought out Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had previously stayed clear of such events. Rubio, who has higher approval ratings than other administration officials, took the microphone for a brief appearance. He stated, "Our enemies are weaker. Our country is stronger, and our people are safer because Donald J. Trump is the president of the United States." Talarico embraced the nickname Trump gave him, noting he had never seen so many "Talafreakos" packed into one room.