Democratic state Rep. James Talarico is running for U.S. Senate in Texas, proposing broader access to Medicare, expanded tax credits for working families and changes to federal immigration law.
Talarico faces Republican Ken Paxton and Libertarian Ted Brown on the Nov. 3, 2026, general election ballot, according to the Texas secretary of state’s certification. Murphy, Wylie and Sachse voters will vote in the statewide race.
A former public school teacher born in Round Rock, Talarico has served in the Texas House since November 2018. He represented District 52 before moving to District 50 in January 2023, according to the Texas Legislative Reference Library. He holds degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and Harvard University.
Healthcare and prescription drugs
Talarico proposes allowing Americans of any age to join Medicare, creating a public insurance option that would compete with private insurers. His healthcare platform also calls for restoring enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, limiting out-of-pocket prescription costs and regulating pharmacy benefit managers.
He supports stronger antitrust enforcement against large healthcare companies, changes to insurance prior authorization and increased Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates to help rural hospitals.
Talarico, who has Type 1 diabetes, helped pass Texas legislation limiting insulin cost-sharing under covered plans to $25 per prescription for a 30-day supply. That limit does not apply universally to everyone buying insulin.
For local residents, his federal proposals could change insurance choices, premiums and prescription expenses. His platform does not establish what individual households would pay or provide a complete financing plan for expanded Medicare eligibility.
He also supports federal legislation protecting abortion access, contraception and in vitro fertilization.
Taxes and household costs
Talarico’s tax platform calls for expanding the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit, raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour and repealing tariffs imposed by the Trump administration.
He proposes financing tax relief by closing tax loopholes and increasing taxes on large corporations and wealthy households. His proposals include raising the corporate tax rate, increasing taxes on billionaires’ income and capital gains, and raising the tax on corporate stock buybacks.
The platform does not provide a complete revenue estimate or specify every proposed tax rate.
Talarico cites votes for Texas property-tax reductions as part of his state legislative record. A U.S. senator, however, would not directly control local property-tax rates in Murphy, Wylie and Sachse.
Education
Talarico opposes private-school voucher programs and supports universal prekindergarten for children ages 3 and 4, expanded teacher training and federal protections for special education funding.
His legislative biography lists service on the House Public Education, Juvenile Justice and Family Issues, and Calendars committees.
Expanded federal education programs could bring additional support to participating local schools and families. Their reach would depend on congressional funding, eligibility rules and implementation by state and local agencies.
Immigration and border security
Talarico supports stronger border security alongside changes intended to make legal immigration more accessible.
His immigration platform calls for a citizenship pathway for long-term immigrants and people brought to the United States as children. He also supports temporary work permits for recent arrivals and prioritizing the deportation of criminals, gang members and human traffickers.
Those proposals could affect families’ immigration status and employers’ access to workers. The platform does not provide a full implementation budget or timetable.
Government reform and Senate authority
Talarico supports banning congressional trading in individual stocks, independent redistricting commissions and changes aimed at reversing the effects of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision.
His government-reform platform proposes limiting House members to six two-year terms and senators to two six-year terms. Congressional term limits would require a constitutional amendment.
A senator can introduce legislation, vote on federal spending and appointments, and conduct oversight. Talarico could not enact his platform alone: major changes would require approval by Congress and the president, or sufficient congressional support to override a veto.
This profile draws on official election and legislative records and Talarico’s published campaign platform. The Murphy-Wylie-Sachse Courier did not receive a direct questionnaire response from the candidate and does not endorse candidates.
