Potential rivals James Talarico and Joaquin Castro to join Beto O’Rourke at Friday town hall in San Antonio

Former El Paso Congressman Beto O’Rourke will be joined by U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro of San Antonio and Texas House Rep. James Talarico of Austin at a town hall this Friday at the Pearl’s Stable Hall.

Though none of the three Democrats has officially announced a run for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Republican John Cornyn, all have publicly hinted at their interest.

The 6:30 p.m. event is free to attend, though registration is encouraged through O’Rourke’s voter-mobilization group Powered By People.

While answering a question from an audience member at a late-April town hall in Denton, O’Rourke — who sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020 and ran a tight 2018 race against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz — said he would run for senate again, if Texans will have him.

“If it comes to pass that this is what the people of Texas want, that it’s the highest and best use of what I can give to you, then yes, I will,” O’Rourke said to applause, Dallas ABC affiliate WFAA reported at the time.

Talarico, a progressive standout during the recently completed session of the Texas Legislature, also indicted he’s keeping his options open.

“The legislative session just ended, and I am having conversations about how I can best serve, and that does include the Senate race,” Talarico told the Houston Chronicle June 6.

Meanwhile, Castro hinted that he could throw his hat in the ring given the current political climate.

“Everywhere I go, people are anxious and fearful,” Castro said in an Express-News report. “People are exhausted and they’re giving up. They’re tired of the corruption and the chaos. I feel like I can meet this moment in our country given my vision and experience.”
North Texas Democrat U.S. Rep. Colin Allred — who fell nearly 9 points short in a race last year against U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz  — has also said he’s weighing another senate bid, though this time he would “run differently,” the Dallas Morning News reports.

Further adding to the prospects of a potentially crowded 2026 primary season is former astronaut Terry Virts, the only Democrat to so far formally unveil a run against Cornyn.

Whichever Dem wins the primary would likely face off either against Cornyn or Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who’s challenging the incumbent in the GOP primary.

Observers speculate Democrats smell blood in the water due to recent polls indicating Republican primary voters favor Paxton despite  his history of high-profile scandals.

Over the past decade, Texas’ top lawyer has been impeached by the state House over abuse-of-office allegations, although he was later acquitted by the state Senate. He also faced a now-scuttled FBI investigation and agreed to pay a fine to dismiss criminal state securities fraud charges.

Somehow, though, much like his beau idéal Trump, Paxton is still standing.

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This article appears in Jun 26 – Jul 9, 2025.