By Kamryn Anthis | Staff Writer
A packed room of Baylor students, faculty and staff gathered in the Hurd Welcome Grand Ballroom Wednesday night as Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico brought his campaign to campus, focusing much of his message on affordability and the influence of wealthy donors in politics.
“The top 1% has put the American dream behind a paywall,” Talarico said. “We are getting screwed. Whether you’re a little more conservative or a little more progressive, we’re all getting screwed.”
Talarico has urged throughout his campaign that we see the issues in our nation from a top-vs.-bottom perspective, rather than left vs. right.
“People are working hard, they’re playing by the rules, but those rules of today weren’t written for us — they were written for billionaires,” Talarico said.
Talarico has specifically criticized billionaire mega-donors, such as Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks, for their influence in Texas politics. His campaign has also pledged not to accept contributions from corporate PACs and has called for eliminating super PACs.
McLennan County Democratic Party Precinct 72 Chair Mary Mann, who attended the event in support of Talarico, said she believes large political contributions can give wealthy donors greater access to elected officials.
“For billionaires to put money into political campaigns, they curry favor, they get favors done for them and that’s wrong, especially when you and I can’t afford to do that,” Mann said. “We can’t give them money because we’re not making much money right now.”
Talarico has highlighted his campaign’s fundraising while contrasting it with the outside spending supporting Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton.
“We have shattered grassroots fundraising records, all without taking a dime from corporate PACs,” Talarico said.
Federal Election Commission records show Talarico’s campaign has raised tens of millions of dollars, with most reported contributions coming from individuals. His campaign has also received contributions from political committees that are not corporate PACs. Separately, super PACs can spend money independently to support candidates without coordinating with their campaigns, and Talarico has benefited from such outside spending.
Tulsa sophomore Olivia Kerber said she sees the debate over campaign funding extending beyond Texas.
“Around the country, not just in Texas, a lot of politicians are losing because of similar situations,” Kerber said. “We can see what happened in New York. More progressives are coming, people who don’t take money from corporate PACs or AIPAC or anything like that. So I honestly think it’s a good thing that we’re not taking corporate money anymore, and keeping our interests local.”
Beyond campaign finance, Talarico devoted much of his speech to affordability and the financial pressures facing Texans.
“All across this state, everywhere I go, everyone is struggling to survive in this economy,” Talarico said. “No matter how hard Texans work, no matter how much they save and stretch and sacrifice, those ends never seem to meet.”
Talarico tied those concerns back to his argument about wealth and political influence.
“The billionaires who are buying the system don’t care who you are,” Talarico said. “They don’t care about your politics; they only care about their profits. They don’t see us as Democrats or Republicans; they don’t see red or blue; they only see green. They see us as one group of people. One group of people they can rip off.”
Mann said Talarico’s emphasis on working-class Texans and vulnerable communities is one reason she supports his campaign.
“He has a heart and compassion for everyone, but especially the downtrodden,” Mann said. “I am thrilled that we have someone like him coming on the scene, who can represent every person, no matter their income, and he will have the compassion for the vulnerable.”
Talarico is running against Republican Ken Paxton for the U.S. Senate in the Nov. 3 election. Baylor invited both candidates to hold events on campus. Talarico’s campaign accepted the Sept. 16 date, while Paxton’s campaign was unable to fit the available dates into its schedule.
