Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico will travel to Los Angeles in September for a high-dollar fundraiser hosted by Hollywood figures, even as his Republican opponent and top GOP officials gather in Dallas for the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention.
Politico reports that “Lost” co-creator Damon Lindelof and his wife, Heidi, will host the event in Brentwood on Sept. 10. Tickets run from $500 to $13,500. It’s Talarico’s second Hollywood fundraiser this year, following a June event at the home of producer Peter Chernin, which Page Six Hollywood called a “glitzy Dem fundraiser.” Fox News Digital reached out to the Lindelofs and Chernin for comment.
Talarico’s opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, will be in Dallas for the RNC gathering alongside President Donald Trump and other Republican officials. The same night, former President Barack Obama is set to headline a Democratic House fundraiser in New York, according to the New York Times.
Fox News Digital previously reported that donors from outside Texas made up roughly half of the funds raised by Talarico, according to first-quarter campaign finance records.
RNC spokesperson Zach Kraft criticized the out-of-state fundraising trip.
“It is no surprise that James Talarico feels more comfortable in crazy liberal California than when his handlers force him to wear a fake cowboy hat and rent a pickup truck to pretend to be a ‘real’ Texan,” Kraft told Fox News Digital.
Talarico’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.
Talarico currently serves as a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives. Republicans have repeatedly criticized past statements he made, including calling God “nonbinary,” saying there are six sexes, and describing reduced meat consumption as “existential” for fighting climate change.
Despite the attacks, the race is close. A Fox News poll from July had Talarico ahead of Paxton 51% to 48%, within the survey’s margin of error. Paxton has told Fox News Digital that Talarico’s lead isn’t surprising given the head start he got following a messy Republican primary runoff between Paxton and incumbent Sen. John Cornyn.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told Fox News on Sunday that money is a factor in the contest.
“Mr. Talarico has been raising bucketloads of money from California, Hollywood,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy called on Trump to direct more resources to Paxton’s campaign, saying, “We in the Senate don’t have the money budgeted for Texas; we need help from the president.”
Trump has said he intends to campaign for Paxton. “I’m going to help Ken Paxton, and I’m going to spend a lot of time in Texas,” Trump said, adding, “I’ll be going to Texas, and we’re working really hard. We want to win that race.” Trump called Paxton a “very good candidate” while referring to Talarico as “Talafreako,” saying “he is a little freaky.”
