'Texas is not for sale': Democrat James Talarico targets Elon Musk at Austin rally in Senate race against Paxton

Democratic candidate for the US Senate in Texas, James Talarico, has taken aim at billionaire Elon Musk, warning that the tech mogul is trying to buy political influence and declaring: 'Texas is not for sale.' He delivered the warning at a campaign rally on Friday at the University of Texas at Austin.

The rally at his alma mater packed an auditorium with hundreds of students and other supporters, who cheered, whooped and waved campaign signs.

The Presbyterian seminarian's insurgent run against Texas attorney general Ken Paxton, a staunch ally of Donald Trump, has become one of the most closely watched races in next month's midterm elections to decide control of Congress. Democrats are seeking their first statewide win since 1994.

Talarico, 37, struck his usual upbeat message on Friday but also pulled no punches in denouncing Paxton — who was impeached by his own party over corruption accusations and had a very public divorce — as the most corrupt politician in the state's history.

'I have a legislative record; Ken Paxton has a criminal record,' said Talarico, a state representative, wearing a dark blue jacket, white open collar shirt and blue jeans. 'This election is about whether you want a senator who puts money in your pocket or who puts money in their own. This election is about whether you want a senator who is for Texas or for himself. This election is about whether you want a senator who serves you or serves their billionaire mega donors.'

Paxton, he continued, has the ultimate mega donor. 'Elon Musk is trying to buy the Senate seat. We just found out that the richest man in the world is almost single-handedly bankrolling this effort to install Ken Paxton in the US Senate and stop the movement that we are building in our state.'

'In all likelihood, if you've seen an attack ad on your screens, that was Elon. If you've gotten lies in your mailbox, that was Elon. If you received a text message saying scary things about me with scary black and white photos, that was Elon too,' he said.

Speaking against the backdrop of a giant Texan state flag and 40 young supporters holding 'Talarico' signs, the Democrat said that, where his movement is funded by 1.3 million individuals, Paxton is funded by 'one dude'.

In a state where data centres have become an incendiary issue, Talarico said: 'Elon Musk wants our land. He wants our water. He wants our tax dollars. He wants his very own personal United States senator. He is trying to buy Texas. But on November 3rd, we are going to deliver a crystal clear message to the world's first trillionaire: Texas is not for sale.'

Musk, who lives in Texas and has relocated SpaceX, Tesla, X and other businesses there, has contributed $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which in turn transferred the same amount to Texas PAC, a Republican super PAC supporting Paxton, according to federal filings.

Talarico has offset the outside-spending disadvantage with grassroots fundraising. His campaign says it raised $64 million from July through September, more than triple Paxton's total, with 97 percent of donations under $100 each.

Talarico told the crowd that super PACs and 'billionaire mega-donors' are spending $200 million in the most expensive Senate race in US history to defeat his grassroots campaign. 'Big money is powerful, but it is nothing compared to people power,' he insisted, invoking biblical imagery comparing his supporters to the slingshot that David used to defeat Goliath.

Friday's rally capped a turbulent month in what has emerged as America's biggest battleground state. Talarico fell ill with the flu at the end of September and was not seen in public for nine days. Rumours that spread in that period were comprehensively debunked.

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal published a video showing Paxton celebrating New Year's Eve in Dubai with two US fugitives who were indicted in Illinois on healthcare-fraud charges. One of them donated $190,000 to Paxton, including $25,000 after his indictment.

Back on the campaign trail, Talarico set out on a tour of the state and held a CNN town hall with sceptical Republicans and independent voters. Paxton launched an 18-day bus tour aimed at conservative voters. The campaign entered its final stretch with the Democrat holding a narrow polling advantage — a RealClearPolitics average for polls from October 6 to 19 put Talarico ahead by 1.8 points, and an Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media survey released on Thursday found 48 percent for Talarico and 46 percent for Paxton. Early voting began on October 19, and Talarico voted earlier on Friday.

Supporters at the rally expressed frustration with incumbent Republican officials such as Paxton along with optimism that Talarico's message could signal a new political era for Texas. Alina Anil, a 19-year-old student who had already cast her ballot, said Texas had been red for a long time without much change and that Talarico seemed promising, especially as he was a teacher before. Dakota Walker, 31, a paediatric physical therapist, spoke of her trust in Talarico on healthcare reform. Texas Democrats have had their hopes dashed before, notably when former congressman Beto O'Rourke lost to Republican Senator Ted Cruz in 2018 by less than 3 percentage points. The November 3 result will show whether Talarico's 'Texas is not for sale' message can end that long drought.