# Talarico Texas Democratic Convention Speech (June 2026) [[James Talarico]]'s acceptance speech for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate from Texas, delivered to the full 2026 Texas Democratic Convention in Corpus Christi on Friday night, June 26, 2026. Talarico opened by invoking [[Barbara Jordan]] — the trailblazing Houston Democrat who became the first Black woman elected to Congress from the South — anchoring his campaign in the Texas civic tradition rather than national party branding. See [[TX-Sen-2026]] for the race against [[Ken Paxton]]. ## Quote receipts > [!quote] Barbara Jordan said: 'I get from the soil and spirit of Texas the feeling that I, as an individual, can accomplish whatever I want to.' Barbara Jordan felt that spirit of Texas in her bones. It was the spirit that propelled her from the hells of Jim Crow to the halls of power. I feel that spirit tonight in this room. > — Opening of the acceptance speech, quoting Jordan and then extending her arc (Texas Tribune, 2026-06-27). He also told the convention that November would bring an end to three decades of one-party statewide rule in Texas. ## The Texas-lineage frame The Jordan invocation is part of Talarico's broader campaign register: he consistently invokes pioneering Texans — [[Sam Houston]], [[Lyndon B. Johnson]], Barbara Jordan, and [[Ann Richards]] — as leaders who put Texans ahead of partisan politics. It is a deliberate strategy for a statewide Democrat in Texas: wrapping progressive candidacy in state heritage and (in Talarico's case, as a seminarian) progressive Christianity, rather than national-party identity. The contrast with [[Donald Trump]]'s same-day "godless communists" speech ([[Trump Faith and Freedom Coalition Speech]]) could not be sharper. ## Context: the Black-voter engagement question The Jordan tribute also did strategic work inside the hall. Per the Texas Tribune, Black elected officials at the convention said Talarico and the statewide ticket had more work to do engaging Black voters, who felt taken for granted by the party. To the Texas Coalition of Black Democrats, Talarico committed: "I am committing to you to not make those mistakes. I am committed to working with the members of this caucus to show up for, invest in and fight for the votes of every Black Texan." [[Jasmine Crockett]], who skipped the convention after losing the Senate primary, declined to commit to campaigning for him. ## See also - [[2026 Stump Speeches Hub]] - [[TX-Sen-2026]] — the race file - [[Barbara Jordan]] — the invoked inspiration