Kacey Musgraves is the latest major country music star from Texas to throw her support behind Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico. Musgraves hosted Talarico at her concert in Dallas at the weekend, later rallying behind him in a social media spat with former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Her endorsement follows others for Talarico from some of the most recognizable names in Texas music.
Country music legend Willie Nelson, who has long supported Democratic candidates and progressive causes, endorsed Talarico in a video released by the Talarico campaign last week. He’s a good man who will be a good senator for the state of Texas. Please vote and vote for James Talarico.” Earlier this month The Chicks, who were formed in Dallas, endorsed Talarico by sharing a photo on Instagram wearing "I'm a Talafreako" shirts.
"Get Ur Freak On," they wrote in the caption, tagging Talarico and providing key dates for Texas voters to know. Taken together, the endorsements provide Talarico with a significant advantage given the unique role that country music plays in Texas' culture, with some of the state’s biggest stars publicly on his side as he seeks to become the first Democrat elected to the Senate in Texas since 1988. Notably, no country music star of similar prominence has publicly endorsed his Republican opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Newsweek has contacted the Talarico and Paxton campaigns for comment. Nadine Hubbs, a cultural historian and professor at the University of Michigan, told Newsweek that country music is popular in Texas in a way that is different from virtually anywhere else in the country, and its popularity cuts across social and economic divides. ”Rich people like country music, poor people like country music, people in the middle like country music," Hubbs said. She noted it is especially significant given the attacks Talarico faced from Paxton and Republicans over his absence from the campaign trail while recovering from the flu.
The casual kind of voter will see this and, just kind of feel it, even if they don't want to read about it, that one guy is touchable, the other guy's untouchable. Kacey Musgraves is touching James Talarico. Nobody wants to touch Ken Paxton, either literally or figuratively.” But some Republicans have sought to diminish the endorsements.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz responded to Nelson's endorsement by suggesting it would doom Talarico's camapaign. "Willie’s music is great, but historically, this has been the beginning of the end for Democrat campaigns in Texas….," he wrote on X. And Noem, the former Homeland Security Secretary, decided to wade into Texas politics after Musgraves hosted Talarico at her concert by saying she prefers Ella Langley to Musgraves.
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