James Talarico seen on camera driving rental truck in "Real Texas" campaign ad

Flip the 'a' and the 'e' in Texas

In the latest chapter of Democrats trying to cosplay as salt-of-the-earth Texans, a campaign ad peddling James Talarico as some macho working-class badass shows the Democrat gripping the wheel of a Dodge Ram 1500 that, according to a report published Wednesday, traces straight back to an Enterprise rental lot.

Digital news outlet Semafor’s David Weigel dug up the detail. The plate is right there on screen for anyone with eyes. 

Talarico’s everyday ride is a Chevy Colorado. That midsize pickup has starred in his other ads and the usual glowing profiles. The Ram 1500 he commandeers for this particular macho adjacent performance is a full-size model. Too bad he wasn't smoking a stogie as he sat behind the wheel.

The ad, titled “Waking Up,” opens with Texans crawling out of bed before the roosters and casts Talarico as one of the boys. 

He talks about being raised by a single mother “guided by faith,” his years as a teacher, and his work in the state House to lower drug costs and cut property taxes. [Why do we glorify single mothers as if that's a badge of honor?]

“I’ll take on corruption and make this economy work for working people again,” Talarico says in the ad, while not saying that he'll take on dishonesty.

Weigel asked whether the candidate’s car was in the shop. He said he did not hear back.

Politico’s Adam Wren posted a photo of what he identified as “The Talarico Colorado,” confirming the candidate’s usual vehicle. He may have previously owned a Mazda MX-5 Miata, but there is no proof of that. [Grok the "gayest car.]

One widely followed account wrote that Talarico “rented a truck from Enterprise for his ad to look like a real Texan.” A Texas political action committee asked why the candidate was “dodging questions about the rental truck.”Talarico beat Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the March primary to win the Democrat nomination. He now leads Republican Ken Paxton in the Texas Senate race. A Texas Public Opinion Research survey put him ahead 45 percent to 40 percent, with a nine-point edge among non-college-educated voters. Critics have flagged a gap between how he presents himself and how he votes.

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