Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico featured a billionaire guest at a Wednesday fundraiser in Chicago after repeatedly using heated rhetoric against billionaires.
Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker — who per Forbes has a net worth over $4 billion — appeared at the Chicago fundraiser for Talarico to raise money for the Senate hopeful’s campaign. Several other Illinois Democrats attended, and contribution suggestions ranged between $500 to $13,500, according to an X post by New York Times reporter Teddy Schleifer.
Talarico has repeatedly bashed billionaires during his campaign, calling the demographic the “only minority destroying this country” in an interview with MSNBC.
“This campaign was going to be about fighting back. The billionaires who own our algorithms, who own our cable news networks, who own the politicians fighting on our screens and keeping us all divided: This was going to be a campaign that was going to bring people together to stand up to those forces,” Talarico said in an interview with The New York Times.
“The biggest divide in this country is not left vs. right but top vs. bottom,” Talarico said in a July 2025 X post.
Talarico’s campaign did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
James Talarico speaks onstage during “Raging Moderates” at the Vox Media Podcast Stage at SXSW on March 14, 2026 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for Vox Media)
Talarico has faced backlash after apparently attempting to rebrand his stances on immigration and gender ideology.
“I’m a border security Democrat,” the Democrat said on a June podcast months after stating that he thought the U.S.’ southern border should be like a “front porch” with a “giant welcome mat.” (RELATED: James Talarico Calls Biden’s Border ‘Utter Chaos’ In Attempted Immigration Rebrand)
On the same podcast, Talarico stated that he opposed child sex changes. The Democrat had previously expressed his “love” for “trans children” and called God “non-binary.”
“We can’t afford the basics, we can’t afford groceries or gas or insurance or housing or childcare or prescription drugs, and Ken Paxton clearly has no solutions to offer us,” Talarico said according to CBS.
Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton secured a $1.25 million settlement with Hyatt Hotels — which is owned by Pritzker’s family — in December 2025 for violating Texas consumer protection laws, according to a press release from Paxton’s office. Paxton, the GOP Texas Senate nominee, attained the settlement for the hotel rooms marketing prices that were not available to the public as advertised.
Talarico will face Paxton in the November general election.
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