Democrat U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico spoke of “dismantling” capitalism while dismissing the future of Texas’ oil and gas industry during a 2020 climate forum, newly resurfaced video shows.
The comments, first reported by CNN, came during a virtual candidate forum hosted by the Austin Sierra Club while Talarico was serving his first term in the Texas House.
During the forum, Talarico was asked what lawmakers could do to address the effects of climate change on minority communities.
“I am so thankful that you asked this question, and also thankful that young activists have really drawn the link between climate change and white supremacy and capitalism in our country,” Talarico said.
“And I think only ending the ways that all three of those oppressive systems work together, are we going to be able to begin the process of dismantling them.”
Earlier in the discussion, Talarico described what he called the “multifaceted threat of a climate crisis, an economic crisis, and a social justice crisis.”
He said a “New Deal effort” would be “the only approach to start to address all three in a thoughtful and meaningful way.”
Talarico also questioned the future of the oil and gas industry, comparing Texas’ position as a national energy leader to dominating an obsolete technology.
“We all know that Texas has been a leader in oil and gas, but in many ways that’s like being the leader in cassette tapes in the 1980s,” Talarico said. “That industry is not gonna last.”
Six years later, Talarico is presenting a markedly different message as he campaigns against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton for U.S. Senate.
His campaign told CNN that Talarico is now a “proud capitalist” who supports the oil and gas industry.
“James is a proud capitalist and agrees with the majority of Texans that racism, natural disasters, and a billionaire-controlled economy are all problems we need to address,” campaign spokesman JT Ennis said.
The Paxton campaign responded to the resurfaced remarks by pointing to Talarico’s comments about both capitalism and the oil and gas industry.
Campaign spokeswoman Madison Cercy said the report “just confirmed what we already knew: James Talarico is a Democratic Socialist who wants to destroy economic opportunity, ban oil and gas, and raise taxes to pay for his radical agenda.”
“Talarico called capitalism an ‘oppressive system’ and said the Texas oil and gas was ‘not gonna last.’ His views and values are completely antithetical to Texas and are a threat to our way of life,” she added.
