Lubbock became the center of the political universe with dueling Trump-Talarico rallies

A sea of red baseball caps formed outside the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center before the sun rose Tuesday. By the afternoon, thousands of Republicans gathered to hear President Donald Trump. Some were draped in American flags. Others wore sequined cowboy hats. They also wore swag that said: 'Trump was right about everything.'

Across the street, two dozen protesters assembled. They waved signs supporting Democrat James Talarico for U.S. Senate. Other signs were anti-Trump. Just a few short miles away, scores of Talarico supporters convened for their own rally at the town’s Fiesta Center. The line wrapped several city blocks.

By 7 p.m., Lubbock had become the center of the political universe with Trump and Talarico holding dueling rallies.

The split screen in Lubbock laid bare the rocky political terrain Texas Republicans face this fall, especially at the top of the ticket. Talarico has maintained a small but steady lead over Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in most public opinion polls this fall. Other Democrats, including gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa, appear ascendant. Their rise has been fueled in part by growing dissatisfaction over the cost of living, the proliferation of data centers in rural Texas, and other issues like school funding. To win statewide, Democratic candidates must drive up support in places like Lubbock, which have proved to be a firewall for Republicans.

To that end, Talarico spent the day hopscotching West Texas, headlining rallies in Midland and Amarillo. Paxton, Talarico’s Republican opponent, also held events in Sherman, a small town about 65 miles north of Dallas, then went to Amarillo. Before Lubbock, Trump was in Corpus Christi, the seat of Nueces County, which Democrat Beto O’Rourke narrowly won in 2018.