{"text":[[{"start":9.26,"text":"In the historic blue tsunami that swept the US in the midterm elections, James Talarico’s Senate victory in Texas stands out."}],[{"start":16.52,"text":"Talarico, a 37-year-old state representative, ended more than three decades of Republican dominance and led a Democratic sweep of offices that left Senator Ted Cruz as the lone statewide-elected Republican."}],[{"start":29.08,"text":"At his victory party in the capital of Austin, where the ecstatic crowd was punch-drunk on the sheer scale of the win, the Presbyterian seminarian framed his triumph over Republican Ken Paxton as a David versus Goliath battle. “We just proved that all the money in the world is no match for the people of Texas,” said Talarico in his victory speech, wearing his campaign uniform of dark blue jeans and cowboy boots. “We just showed that a politics of division is no match for a politics of love.”"}],[{"start":57.1,"text":"It helped that Paxton was a weak candidate with limited charisma. His corruption scandals and allegations of infidelity were in stark contrast to Talarico, who seized the moral high ground."}],[{"start":67.64,"text":"The young Democrat’s triumph catapults him on to the nationwide stage as one of the rising stars of his party and a new voice of the moderate left. His win also has the potential to transform the US electoral map."}],[{"start":79.32,"text":"“This is an opportunity rather than a new age,” says Cal Jillson, a political scientist at Southern Methodist University. “But [the Democrats] have to do something that the public credits as responsible governance,” he warns. “If they don’t their majority will be shortlived.”"}],[{"start":95.08,"text":"Long before President Donald Trump endorsed Paxton and doomed the GOP in Texas, Talarico was honing his anti-corruption and affordability messages in viral social media posts, drawing crowds to his rallies and young voters to the polls."}],[{"start":108.92,"text":"In contrast with the divisive message put forward by the Republican Party, the earnest Talarico emphasised bipartisanship. Much of his appeal lay in his engaging homilies that acted as a palate cleanser after years of vitriolic rhetoric and polarised politics. Yet the midterm race showed he was able to take the fight to the GOP too."}],[{"start":128.34,"text":"Trump, who visited Texas four times in an effort to save Paxton’s floundering campaign, relentlessly mocked the clean-cut politician, calling him “Talafreako” and comparing him to the gap-toothed mascot of Mad Magazine, Alfred Neuman. But despite millions being poured into Paxton’s campaign, including from Elon Musk, Talarico maintained a polling lead for most of the race. People close to Talarico often use one word to describe him: disciplined."}],[{"start":156.8,"text":"“He is the single most disciplined candidate for any office I’ve ever met,” says Cliff Walker, co-founder of communications firm Seeker Strategies, who has known Talarico since 2017. “You know he’s being thoughtful, he’s very present.”"}],[{"start":172.44,"text":"Talarico was raised in Austin by his mother Tamara and adoptive father Mark after his mother left his abusive biological father. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in government from University of Texas at Austin, where he joined the university Democrats. In 2011, he worked as a middle school teacher in San Antonio as part of Teach for America, a non-profit organisation that recruits college graduates to work as teachers in low-income public schools. He later earned a master’s degree in education from Harvard."}],[{"start":202.92,"text":"He entered politics in 2018 as a state representative. Talarico was a freshman lawmaker alongside Jon Rosenthal, the new Texas railroad commissioner-elect. “He’s a genuine good guy,” says Rosenthal, adding that Talarico was able to build bipartisan support in the House by passing a series of bills. “When a Democrat passes any piece of legislation in Texas, we have to have a bunch of Republicans on board,” says Rosenthal."}],[{"start":230.6,"text":"Talarico became a vocal advocate for the separation of church and state as Texas lawmakers introduced a law requiring that the Ten Commandments be displayed in public schools. Families and civil rights groups have appealed to the US Supreme Court to block the law."}],[{"start":245.88,"text":"Talarico, who has been pursuing a divinity degree from the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, offers a different version of Christianity from that of his Maga rivals, leaning into the social justice dimension of his faith. He gave his victory speech on Tuesday night from behind a pulpit with a sign that read “Love Thy Neighbor”."}],[{"start":263.44,"text":"“He has found a way to combat Christian nationalism . . . that’s important,” says Eric McDaniel, a professor of government at the University of Texas-Austin."}],[{"start":272.64,"text":"His test going forward is whether he can stick to his faith-based principles in office. “When you’re sitting there on the outside, it’s easy to challenge everything, but what happens when you’re in power?” asks McDaniel."}],[{"start":285.92,"text":"Talarico ended the night with a midnight stop at Whataburger, the Texas chain, whose orange W logo hasn’t changed since 1972. Under the fluorescent lights, he celebrated his win with Gina Hinojosa, the newly elected governor of Texas, in what was jokingly described as the Whataburger summit, raising a styrofoam cup filled with Dr Pepper, another famous Texas brand."}],[{"start":309.16,"text":"Sitting at the fast-food restaurant, Maritza Garcia reflected on Talarico’s rise. “Texas gets painted as this big red state but when you delve into it people have moderate views,” says the 26-year-old law student, who was wearing glitter face paint. “This rhetoric of hate has shown people the need for love and compassion,” she went on. “When they announced Talarico was the winner, I just felt immense joy.”"}],[{"start":338.12,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1794019160_8954.mp3"}