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Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico’s campaign confirmed on Thursday that the truck he drove in a viral advertisement doesn’t belong to him.
Talarico has previously revealed that he owns a midsize Chevy Colorado, but in a new campaign ad he is seen driving a full-sized Dodge Ram 1500. As a result of the vehicle swap, Talarico has been mocked by conservatives for appearing in the larger truck for the slick campaign commercial.
Critics have accused Talarico of trying to “look like a real Texan,” but his campaign said the switch was simply for production purposes.
“James’ truck has tinted windows. We tried to shoot in his Chevy first, but it was too dark to film,” Talarico campaign spokesperson JT Ennis told Digital.
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Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico. (F. Carter Smith/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The ad, “Waking Up,” essentially stars the Dodge Ram as Talarico is seen driving through the Lone Star State while a voiceover features the Senate candidate discussing plans to “make this economy work for working people again.” Throughout the video, shots of Talarico driving the dark Dodge Ram are intertwined with images of hardworking Texans.
Semafor political reporter David Weigel noticed the “odd detail” in the ad.
“He drives a Chevy Colorado, which has appeared in other ads and in profiles. But here he’s driving a Dodge Ram 1500. And it’s not hard to spot; you can see the plate, which is linked to an Enterprise rental,” Weigel wrote.
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James Talarico is seen driving a Dodge Ram that doesn’t belong to him in a new campaign ad.
Senate hopeful James Talarico’s campaign confirmed on Thursday that the truck he’s driving in a viral advertisement doesn’t belong to him.
The Talarico campaign did not immediately respond when asked if the Dodge Ram was rented.
Some truck enthusiasts have insisted that Talarico’s Chevy Colorado is inferior.
“You can look at the RAM and see it looks tougher than the Colorado. Size matters. That RAM is taller, longer, wider. More like a truck,” conservative writer Caleb Howe wrote.
Plenty took to X to mock Talarico:
Talarico is no stranger to criticism and was also lampooned on Thursday when it was revealed he celebrated receiving a Dr. Anthony Fauci doll in 2021.
Republicans have sought to portray Talarico as effeminate in an effort to damage his image among Texas voters. Democrats haven’t won a U.S. Senate race in the state since 1988.
Talarico’s opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, branded him as “too low-T for Texas.” An AI ad produced by a conservative group portrayed the Democratic hopeful prancing around in a dress.
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Talarico’s campaign took a shot at Paxton over his past legal troubles in its response to Digital, adding, “”We look forward to seeing Ken Paxton’s favorite ride — we hear it’s the back of a police car.”
Digital reached out to Paxton’s campaign for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
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Digital’s Robert Schmad contributed to this report.
