Casino Contributions Spark Controversy in Texas Democratic Senate Primary
Rising Tensions in the Texas Democratic Senate Primary
The Texas Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate intensified on Friday when Colin Allred called out James Talarico over his campaign fundraising methods during the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin. This event marked the first significant confrontation between the two leading candidates, who had previously avoided direct criticism of each other.
Allred Questions Talarico’s Acceptance of Funds Linked to Gambling Interests
Allred criticized Talarico’s portrayal as a critic of wealthy donors, pointing out his acceptance of contributions connected to billionaire Miriam Adelson. He suggested this contradicted Talarico’s public stance, highlighting the substantial support Talarico has received from the Texas Sands PAC in 2024, a group advocating for gambling interests funded by Adelson. Records indicate that this PAC has invested millions of dollars into Texas political campaigns in recent years. Additionally, Talarico has received backing from Charles Butt, head of H-E-B, who supports candidates opposing school vouchers, regardless of their political party.
In response, Talarico defended his campaign funding, noting his alignment with the policy goals supported by these donors, such as increasing public school funding, legalizing gambling, and opposing private school voucher programs. While maintaining his pledge to reject corporate PAC money, he stated he would not impose further limits on his campaign finances, explaining that too many restrictions could disadvantage Democrats. He also pointed to his legislative efforts aimed at reforming campaign finance laws to limit contributions.
Focus on Unity as Talarico Downplays Conflict
In a separate talk earlier at the festival, Talarico emphasized that his campaign seeks to reduce the influence of big money in politics. He expressed belief that Texas voters are weary of the divisions driven by powerful interest groups and portrayed his candidacy as a unifying force to restore trust in the political system.
Rather than engaging directly with Allred’s accusations, Talarico chose to maintain a positive campaign tone. Meanwhile, Allred implied that the Democratic Party benefits from candidates seasoned by tough statewide races, referencing his own 2024 Senate bid loss to Senator Ted Cruz as valuable experience for the general election.
Shared Policy Views Amid Differences
Both Allred and Talarico criticized Senate Democrats who sided with Republicans to end the recent federal government shutdown without extending Affordable Care Act subsidies, citing this deal as evidence of internal party disagreements over negotiation strategies.
Despite their disagreements, the two candidates share several policy positions: supporting the reinstatement of the speaking filibuster, legalizing marijuana, opposing forced buybacks of assault-style weapons, and rejecting proposals to legalize unauthorized border crossings. They also dismissed Republican attempts to tie Texas Democrats to New York’s incoming mayor Zohran Mamdani, with Talarico stressing that his campaign remains focused on Texas-centric issues.
