Willie Nelson and Yo La Tengo Voice Support for Texas Senate Candidate James Talarico

Democratic candidate James Talarico, running for the Texas Senate, continues to build momentum with high-profile endorsements as the November midterm elections approach. Among his most notable supporters is Texas-born music icon Willie Nelson, who officially backed the campaign following a meeting with Talarico backstage at Nelson’s Fourth of July concert earlier this year. The veteran country artist appears in a new campaign video, praising Talarico’s character and policy vision.

“I’ve gotten to know James Talarico,” Nelson says in the brief clip. “He’s a good man, who will be a good senator for the state of Texas. Please vote and vote for James Talarico.”

In addition to Nelson, indie rock band Yo La Tengo has thrown its support behind Talarico, announcing a benefit concert in Austin on October 27. Attendees are asked to contribute a minimum of $100 to the campaign, with seating limited to 500 guests. Event organizers have released a promotional poster featuring the band’s endorsement.

Both Nelson and Yo La Tengo bring long histories of political activism to Talarico’s campaign. Yo La Tengo first lent its voice to progressive causes in 2004, performing at a fundraising event for Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry. More recently, the band offered private acoustic performances in 2024 in exchange for donations to the Harris-Walz ticket. For his part, Nelson has long championed Democratic candidates in Texas, including former state representative Beto O’Rourke during his 2018 Senate bid and 2022 gubernatorial run—both unsuccessful efforts.

Republican Senator Ted Cruz responded sarcastically to Nelson’s endorsement on social media platform X, writing: “Willie’s music is great, but historically, this has been the beginning of the end for Democrat campaigns in Texas…”

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