𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐆 𝐉𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐎 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄𝐒 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐔.𝐒. 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐀𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐂 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐄𝐓 𝐒𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑

                                                     

On Friday night, U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico took the stage at Brownsville’s Market Square Event Center, a building that has stood since 1850, its weathered stone walls holding 176 years of community history. The historic venue, once a bustling public market, later a city office, then even a bus terminal, is now evidence of the city's downtown revitalization. 

It occurred to me, listening to and observing Talarico, the marked contrast between the old, historic building and the youth of Talarico, born in 1989.  

The event was scheduled late, from 7 to 9 p.m., a concession to Brownsville's heat and the lack of air conditioning in the old building. Actually, between the sun going down and the work of multiple ceiling fans, it was comfortable in the aged building. 

Talarico looked the part of a former sixth grade teacher and Presbyterian minister, clean cut with short hair, but he also spoke about the commandments to love oneself and one's neighbor while comparing Jesus' overturning the table of the money changers in the temple to preventing billionaire oligarchs from massive tax cuts at the expense of the poor and needy. 

The 36-year-old Democrat from Round Rock, who has served in the Texas House of Representatives since 2018, is known for his background in education policy and his work on committees ranging from public education to juvenile justice and family issues.

He made most of those points before a packed building downtown, one of Brownsville's most historic settings.