San Antonio residents packed east-of-downtown venue the Espee almost to capacity Sunday to hear Democratic candidates James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa rail against billionaires in a last-minute pitch to voters.
A festival-like atmosphere pervaded the 3,200-capacity amphitheater as Talarico, who’s running for U.S. Senate and Hinojosa, who’s seeking the state’s governorship, sought to close the deal. Attendees danced to a live cumbia band, painted pumpkins and admired the Team Talarico ofrenda between speeches by the candidates and their backers.
In contrast, Talarico’s rival, Ken Paxton, canceled a Tuesday rally planned for the Alamo. Instead, he held a Sunday night gathering at the Angry Elephant, a Republican-themed bar in the northern suburbs, that reportedly drew roughly a hundred people.
Inflation, affordability and the war in Iran are weighing heavily on voters this election cycle, and President Donald Trump’s approval rating continues to plunge.
That’s given Democrats the momentum heading into Tuesday, but experts told the Current that the party won’t be able to win statewide races in Texas unless blue voters show up to the polls. Talarico and Hinojosa in virtual ties with their Republican opponents, meaning turnout has become essential.
During the San Antonio rally, the two Democrats accused Republicans, who control every lever of Texas’ state government, of selling out the state to billionaires, including Elon Musk. The candidates argued that the result has been rising prices and stagnant wages.
Hinojosa repeatedly accused Gov. Greg Abbott of prioritizing wealthy donors over ordinary Texans and saddling the state with what she called a “Greg Abbott corruption tax.” She said the Republican governor has executed quid pro quo deals with powerful interests that have cost the public millions.
“In this state that is the energy powerhouse of the nation and beyond, Texans can’t afford to keep the lights on,” Hinojosa said. “We have the most bankruptcies of any state in America, and it is our small businesses that are struggling to keep their doors open. That, my friends, is Greg Abbott’s record. He owns it.”
Talarico accused Musk of trying to influence Senate election outcomes through the Texas-based tech billionaire’s $158 million in donations to Paxton’s campaign. Meanwhile, Hinojosa pointed out property tax incentives benefiting Musk’s Texas-based companies at the expense of support for public services.
“In all likelihood, if you’ve seen an attack out on your TV, that was Elon,” Talarico said. “If you’ve gotten lies in your mailbox, that was Elon. If you’ve received a text message saying scary things about me with scary black-and-white photos, that was Elon too.”
Talarico added that his campaign was largely funded by small donors eager to see change.
“Our movement is funded by 1.6 million individuals who have given their hard-earned money to us. Ken Paxton is funded by one dude.”
The duo’s closing message appeared to be resonating.
Attendees, including first-time voter Kirei Peraza, told the Current that Talarico’s and Hinojosa’s affordability proposals motivated her to attend show up and hear them speak. She said Hinojosa’s remarks on Abbott’s financial policies particularly moved her.
“Just seeing the light in Hinojosa and Talarico’s eyes and knowing that they have the potential to help — the fact that they want to help — gives me the most hope that this election is going to go a lot better than we anticipate,” Peraza said.
The optimism around Democratic campaigns this cycle also motivated San Antonio resident Michael Goff, who’s been following Talarico since the primaries.
Goff said he was impressed by the politician’s growth over the past year and his apparent understanding of the public’s needs. His primary concern heading into Tuesday’s election, he added, was protecting his community, and he advised residents to double-check election facts before heading out to vote.
“It’s an easy process,” Goff said. “Democracy doesn’t exist around the world, take advantage of it because this exists in a very small component of our society, and it’s sacred.”
Indeed, the energy appears to be lifting Democrats lower on the ticket.
U.S. House hopeful Katy Padilla Stout and Texas House candidates Kristian Carranza and Zack Dunn — all of whom also spoke at the rally — are in competitive races in districts that, in a normal year, would likely lean red.
On Election Night, Democrats would need to flip Tarrant County, match 2024 turnout in Harris County, flip South Texas districts, and match 2024 turnout in Bexar County to have a chance at statewide office, UT San Antonio political science professor Jon Taylor told the Current.
Early-voting figures suggest that Texans are turning out in unusually large numbers.
Preliminary data show that early voting reached record levels, with approximately 7.7 million Texans — or 40.5% of registered voters — casting ballots. That beats the rates for the 2018 midterm election, when Beto O’Rourke’s challenged U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, the Texas Tribune reports.
Bexar County is only 50,000 votes shy of matching turnout for the 2024 presidential election and 15,523 ballots away from exceeding total turnout in the 2022 midterms.
“If we can get out the vote here, San Antonio can be the difference,” Hinojosa told the Current.
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