James Talarico, the Democratic candidate for the US Senate in Texas, has taken aim at Elon Musk, warning that the tech mogul is trying to buy political influence and declaring: “Texas is not for sale.”
asserted
Texas → take → sale
Talarico held a campaign rally on Friday at the University of Texas at Austin, packing an auditorium at his alma mater with hundreds of students and other supporters, who cheered, whooped and waved campaign signs.
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who → hold → 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.
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run → become → Congress
Democrats are seeking their first statewide win since 1994.
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Democrats → seek → 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.
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who → strike → 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.
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Talarico → have → jacket
“This election is about whether you want a senator who puts money in your pocket or who puts money in their own.
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who → want → own
This election is about whether you want a senator who is for Texas or for himself.
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who → want → himself
This election is about whether you want senator who serves you or serves their billionaire mega donors.”
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who → want → donors
Paxton, he continued, has the ultimate mega donor.
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he → continue → donor
“Elon Musk is trying to buy the Senate seat.
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Musk → try → 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.
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we → find → state
“In all likelihood, if you’ve seen an attack ad on your screens, that was Elon.
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that → see → screens
If you’ve gotten lies in your mailbox, that was Elon.
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that → get → mailbox
If you received a text message saying scary things about me with scary black and white photos, that was Elon too.”
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that → receive → photos
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”.
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Paxton → speak → dude
In a state where data centres have become an incendiary issue, Talarico said: “Elon Musk wants our land.
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Musk → become → land
He wants our water.
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He → want → water
He wants our tax dollars.
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He → want → dollars
He wants his very own personal United States senator.
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He → want → senator
He is trying to buy Texas.
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He → try → 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.
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Texas → go → sale
Musk, who lives in Texas and has relocated SpaceX, Tesla, X and other businesses there, has contributed $158m 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.
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which → live → filings
Talarico has offset the outside-spending disadvantage with grassroots fundraising.
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Talarico → offset → fundraising
His campaign says it raised $64m from July through September, more than triple Paxton’s total, with 97% of donations under $100 each.
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it → say → 100
Talarico told the crowd that super PACs and “billionaire mega-donors” are spending $200m in the most expensive Senate race in US history to defeat his grassroots campaign.
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PACs → tell → 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
Talarico’s rally capped a turbulent month in what has emerged as America’s biggest battleground state.
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what → compare → state
Talarico fell ill with the flu at the end of September and was not seen in public for nine days.
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Talarico → fall → days
At a rally in San Antonio, Texas, Donald Trump claimed without evidence that “Tala-freako”, as he nicknames the Democrat, is vegan and had fallen ill because he tried eating meat for political purposes.
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he → claim → purposes
That quickly metastasised into an online rumour that Talarico had checked into a mental health facility in Ohio.
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Talarico → metastasise → Ohio
It was comprehensively debunked.
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It → debunk → ?
Meanwhile the Wall Street Journal published a video showing Paxton celebrating New Year’s Eve in Dubai with two US fugitives, Anosh Ahmed and Sameer Suhail, who were indicted in Illinois on healthcare-fraud charges.
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who → publish → charges
Ahmed donated $190,000 to Paxton, including $25,000 after his indictment.
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Ahmed → donate → indictment
Back on the campaign trail, Talarico set out on a “Clear Eyes, Full Hearts” tour of the state.
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Talarico → set → state
He held a CNN town hall with sceptical Republicans and independent voters.
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He → hold → Republicans
Paxton, meanwhile, launched an 18-day bus tour of Texas.
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Paxton → launch → Texas
His message was aimed at conservative voters with the slogan “Come and Take It”, an attack on what he called the far left.
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he → aim → what
Republicans sought to tie Talarico with positions on transgender issues that have proved potent in conservative campaigning.
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that → seek → campaigning
The campaign entered its final stretch with the Democrat holding a narrow polling advantage.
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Democrat → enter → advantage
The RealClearPolitics average for polls conducted from 6 to 19 October put Talarico ahead by 1.8 percentage points.
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average → conduct → points
…and 20 more, not listed.
The Aporia
