James Talarico

And that's really what pushed me into policy and politics.

I first ran for the State House in 2018.

I was a Democrat running

in a Trump district in a county that was so red it hadn't voted for a Democrat since Jimmy Carter for president.

And so I had to build a big coalition.

I had to bring a lot of people together across all these lines to win that seat.

We ended up flipping that district on election night, shocking the political world in Texas.

And now I'm in my fourth term in the state house where I've built those big coalitions to pass major policy that helps people in our state.

I've had to go toe to toe with some of the mega donors that control Texas politics.

I've had to speak truth to power.

And I've had to work across the aisle to pass bills that actually lower people's costs and help people get ahead in this economy.

I think all of those fights that I've been involved with and leading at the state capitol are now even more urgent

at our nation's capital, the fight against corruption, the fight to lower costs, the fight to make government work for regular people.

And I think I've developed a skill set in the trenches of the Texas legislature, which is not an easy place to work, certainly as a Democrat.

And I want to take those skills, take those fights to where they're needed most on behalf of the people in my state.

Well, and you and I have talked about this a lot because I know we're both people of faith and our faith is very important to both of us.

And so the message that I'm trying to share, either on the campaign trail or from pulpits across the state when I'm preaching as a seminarian, it's the same message of love thy neighbor.

And that's a very old message that comes from all the major world leaders

religions that has been championed by some of our heroes throughout American history.

And I think every generation we have to remind ourselves of the importance of loving our neighbors.