Residents along the Texas-Mexico border report that everyday prices remain high, a key factor in the region's political shifts, even as Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico campaigns to win back Hispanic voters who swung Republican in 2024. Bibi Valdez, observing Talarico's campaign bus in Eagle Pass, noted many Hispanics had changed their political leanings. “A lot of people, for some reason, especially the Hispanics, changed to Republican,” she said. “I just don’t see what the logic was.” This shift occurred as border crossings dropped dramatically since 2024, but the cost of living persists as a major burden.
The Cost of Living Crisis
High costs are a constant topic among border residents. Hector Flores, 72, and Eduardo “Lalo” Riojas, 73, discussed the issue at a McDonald’s in Maverick County. Riojas stated, “You go down to HEB to buy merchandise, groceries,” before Flores supplied the word: “Expensive.” Flores, who works with orphanages in Mexico, affirmed that high prices were not making him question his Republican vote. Maverick County itself saw one of the sharpest swings toward Trump of any county in the country in 2024, moving from backing Biden by 10 percentage points in 2020 to supporting Trump by 19 points two years ago. Talarico, a former middle school teacher, acknowledged the economic strain during his border trip. He told a crowd at Memo’s Restaurant that the economy is “rigged to help mega donors.” He called his opponent, Ken Paxton, a “puppet politician” for the wealthy, stating, “We can’t get ahead no matter how hard we work, no matter how much we save, because the system is rigged against us.”
The State's Enforcement Arm
Despite Talarico’s rhetoric against a rigged system, his proposed solutions include expanding the state’s enforcement apparatus. At a news conference in Sanderson, Texas, he stood with local sheriffs. He pledged investment in surveillance technology to catch illegal crossings and to hire more border patrol agents and immigration judges. This approach mirrors the stance of his Republican opponent. Paxton has consistently leaned on immigration enforcement, promoting lawsuits he filed against the Biden administration over immigration and citing his endorsement from the National Border Patrol Council. Alex Alarcon, Paxton’s campaign director of Hispanic outreach, stated that Paxton has delivered what Hispanics want, including taking on criminals and companies that gouge consumers. Alarcon called Talarico “wimpy,” asserting, “Hispanics know Ken Paxton is a strong man who shares our values, and we see in James Talarico a wimpy liberal. No one looks at him and thinks, now there’s a guy who’ll protect us from the cartels.”
Managing Discontent
Residents along the Rio Grande experience the ebb and flow of migrants directly. They recall hundreds huddled in reflective emergency blankets under a bridge and the subsequent hit to local businesses and town coffers. Some residents noted little aid came from President Joe Biden’s administration. Flores, for instance, said, “It was a nightmare because of him. Now, you don’t see no immigrants.” Talarico conceded that the Biden administration “failed border communities like this, and so people were feeling disillusioned.” He added, “They were open to an alternative and Republicans came down here with some big promises.” However, he noted, “Now, they’re seeing a lot of those promises weren’t kept.” Mike Garcia, 76, who voted for Trump three times, expressed concern over Talarico’s comments about God’s gender, which Paxton has used to attack him. Garcia also acknowledged Paxton’s “horrible reputation” due to his impeachment, acquittal, and allegations of corruption and extramarital affairs. Garcia remained undecided on his vote for November. While Trump gained with Hispanic voters two years ago, AP-NORC polling from one month ago shows opinions of the president have fallen among Hispanics overall since he took office, with only 29% of Hispanic adults nationally approving of his performance, down from 41% at the start of his second term.