Talarico opts out of Sanders rally as polls narrow against Paxton

Senate Democratic candidate James Talarico on Wednesday confirmed he will not be attending Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-VT) rally in Texas, denoting his campaign’s battle to avoid alienating more moderate voters as he fights to flip the seat in November.

Sanders, arguably the most famous progressive nationwide, is rallying in El Paso on Monday as part of an effort to boost Democratic candidates in competitive races in Texas. While former Democratic Senate nominee Beto O’Rourke, who lost his bid to flip the Texas Senate seat red in 2018, and Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX) will appear at the event, Talarico has chosen to stay away, his campaign told the New York Times.