Democratic Texas state Rep. James Talarico drew comparisons between himself and the biblical figures of David and Jesus in a victory speech Tuesday after defeating Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the state's U.S. Senate election.
“I'm reminded of that story from Scripture of a shepherd boy who goes up against a giant,” Talarico told supporters in Austin shortly before midnight. “For 40 days, Goliath teases and taunts. On the day of the fight, he shows up in full armor. He's carrying so many weapons; he needs someone else to carry his shield.”
The 37-year-old Democratic lawmaker and Presbyterian seminarian, who frequently incorporated Christian language into his campaign, compared David's confrontation with Goliath to his own electoral battle against Paxton.
“In this race, we went up against our own Goliaths: the richest man in the world, the most powerful man in the world and the entire Washington, D.C. establishment,” he said. “David wasn't as big or as strong as Goliath. He didn't have as many weapons, but he had hope. He had faith, and he had a slingshot.”
“You were my slingshot. The people of Texas were my slingshot. And tonight, and tonight, we defeated Goliath,” he continued to applause.
Talarico later referenced Jesus cleansing the Temple as he urged his supporters to pursue political change.
“Now the real work begins. Two thousand years ago, when the people at the top hurt His neighbors, that barefoot rabbi didn't stay in a room and pray. He walked into the seat of power, and He flipped over the tables of injustice,” he said.
“As this movement heads to the seat of power, as we head to the United States Senate, we know what this moment requires of us, Texas. It's time to start flipping tables,” he added.
First elected to the Texas House in 2018, Talarico defeated Paxton with approximately 55% of the vote, marking the first statewide Democratic victory in Texas since 1994 and the party's first U.S. Senate win there since 1988.
