Texas – Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton attacked Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico after newly surfaced comments from 2020 showed Talarico describing capitalism as an “oppressive system” and comparing Texas’ oil and gas industry to cassette tapes.
“James Talarico championed a bill that would have outlawed the oil and gas industry in Texas. What’s ‘cringey’ is that he is and always has been a radical socialist who wants to destroy our economy,” Paxton said in a Sept. 1 post on X.
Paxton’s comments came after CNN’s KFile reported on remarks Talarico made during a 2020 online forum with climate activists. The comments have drawn renewed attention as Talarico campaigns for the U.S. Senate and attempts to present himself to Texas voters as a supporter of the state’s energy industry.
During the 2020 forum, Talarico, who was then serving in the Texas House, discussed the relationship between climate change, white supremacy and capitalism.
“I’m so thankful that young activists have really drawn the link between climate change and white supremacy and capitalism in our country,” Talarico said during the forum, according to CNN’s transcript.
He then described the three systems as oppressive and said activists could begin the process of “dismantling” them by addressing the ways they work together.
Talarico also spoke about Texas’ oil and gas industry during the same discussion, comparing the state’s long-standing position as an energy leader to the popularity of cassette tapes in the 1980s.
“We all know that Texas has been a leader in oil and gas, but in many ways, that’s like being the leader in cassette tapes in the 1980s,” Talarico said, according to CNN.
He added that the industry “is not going to last” and argued that Texas needed to prepare for an economy that would work for future generations.
The comments resurfaced as Talarico seeks the Democratic nomination for a U.S. Senate seat and faces Paxton, the Republican nominee, in what has become one of the country’s closely watched Senate contests.
CNN reported that Talarico’s campaign has since distanced itself from some of the language he used in 2020. A campaign spokesperson told CNN that Talarico had acknowledged that some of his previous comments “missed the mark,” while Talarico himself described the 2020 language as “cringy.”
The campaign also told CNN that Talarico is a “proud capitalist” and supports the oil and gas industry. According to CNN, his campaign said he supports an “all of the above” energy strategy designed to protect Texas oil and gas jobs.
Talarico’s current campaign website describes Texas as the “energy leader of the world” and says he would continue that leadership in the U.S. Senate while supporting reliable and affordable energy, according to CNN.
The resurfaced comments have nevertheless given Paxton an opportunity to challenge Talarico’s current political positions and portray his Democratic opponent as being significantly more progressive than his current campaign message suggests.
Paxton’s criticism also comes as the two candidates continue to clash over their visions for Texas. The Republican attorney general has made opposition to what he describes as left-wing policies a central part of his political messaging, while Talarico has attempted to appeal to voters with positions focused on economic issues, energy and other matters affecting Texans.
Talarico remains a member of the Texas House, representing District 50, which includes part of Travis County. His official legislative record shows that he authored legislation concerning the creation of an independent citizen redistricting commission and the redistricting of Texas legislative and congressional districts.
The dispute over Talarico’s old remarks is likely to remain part of the Senate campaign as Republicans seek to portray him as a progressive Democrat whose past positions are out of step with Texas voters.
For Paxton, the comments provide another opportunity to argue that Talarico’s current support for the oil and gas industry does not match his earlier statements.
Talarico’s campaign, however, has pointed to his more recent record and stated positions as evidence that his views have evolved, while acknowledging that some of his earlier rhetoric was poorly worded.
The renewed fight over the comments comes as the Texas Senate race continues to attract national attention, with both candidates seeking to define the other before voters head to the polls.
