Willie Nelson just made his choice in one of the hottest Senate races in America — and plenty of his conservative fans are not going to like it.

The 93-year-old country music legend has endorsed a Democrat in the fight for Texas, throwing his support behind state Rep. James Talarico over Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Nelson delivered the message in a short video, saying he had gotten to know Talarico and believed he would make a good senator.

Here is Nelson making the endorsement himself:

The reaction may be jarring for country fans who identify Nelson with Texas independence and outlaw culture. Politically, however, the endorsement follows a long trail of support for Democrats.

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Nelson has supported Democratic candidates for years, including Beto O’Rourke, Colin Allred and Kamala Harris. Earlier this month he also recorded endorsement videos for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa and lieutenant governor candidate Vikki Goodwin.

The Houston Chronicle reports that Talarico joined Nelson onstage at the singer’s annual Fourth of July Picnic in Austin. The endorsement is also being used to launch “Rural Texans for Talarico,” an effort aimed at voters outside the state’s major cities.

That rural push is not accidental. Democrats do not need to win every conservative county to change the statewide math; they need to cut the margins Republicans have traditionally banked there.

The new campaign initiative is built around rural health care, internet access and the growing fight over data centers. Nelson recorded similar short videos for two other Democrats running statewide, turning his personal brand into a coordinated boost for the ticket.

The Chicks have also promoted Talarico, while Eagles co-founder Don Henley has helped bankroll a super PAC supporting the Senate candidate. Democrats are clearly betting that famous Texas musicians can help make their statewide slate feel culturally familiar in communities where the party label remains a major liability.

Talarico’s own campaign plan calls for more federal support for rural hospitals, broadband and water systems while opposing school-voucher programs and several of President Trump’s trade policies. It also supports simplifying the H-2A agricultural visa process when employers say they cannot find enough American workers.

That is a Democratic platform wrapped in small-town language, and Nelson’s name gives the pitch cultural reach that most politicians could never buy.

The platform promises higher Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement rates for rural hospitals, more federal money for broadband, and low-interest financing for water infrastructure. It also attacks tariffs on farm equipment and fertilizer while calling for additional workforce programs in agriculture.

Republicans will have plenty to challenge in that package, including its approach to trade, immigration and school choice. But the presentation is disciplined: talk about keeping hospitals open, young families close to home and family farms in business, then use a Texas icon to help carry the message.

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Paxton, meanwhile, is trying to turn Republican enthusiasm into actual votes. At a recent rally, he asked supporters to use a campaign app to track whether friends had voted and keep reminding them until they did.

Watch Paxton make the turnout pitch:

Paxton has reason to press the urgency button.

The Washington Examiner reports that he warned donors about a large spending gap with Talarico as early voting approaches. The Republican nominee also pointed to the lingering effects of a bruising primary and argued that the campaign needs more money to compete through Election Day.

Paxton told supporters that the Democratic operation had built a major cash advantage and that Republicans needed to close it quickly. He also acknowledged the difficulty of reuniting the party after his hard-fought runoff against Sen. John Cornyn.

The warning lands less than a month before the November 3 election. That makes the final stretch a test of whether President Trump’s endorsement and Texas’s Republican lean can overcome the Democrats’ spending, volunteer network and celebrity backing.

President Trump has stepped in personally for Paxton and has said he does not regret endorsing him. His recent Texas rally showed both the intensity of the race and the determination of Democrats to disrupt the Republican campaign.

The president’s speech was interrupted repeatedly:

The Senate contest is no longer behaving like a routine Republican hold.

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FOX 4 Dallas-Fort Worth reports that a recent YouGov poll placed Talarico ahead 50% to 44%, powered by large margins among voters under 45. Paxton led among voters 65 and older, the group most likely to recognize Nelson as a cultural icon — and perhaps the group Democrats hope this endorsement can soften.

Celebrity support cannot erase Texas’s Republican history or cast a ballot. Nelson still carries more weight than a visiting Hollywood name.

He is one of the most recognizable Texans alive, with credibility that crosses music, age and party lines.

Republicans who want to keep the seat cannot afford to shrug off that reach. The answer is not outrage over a singer’s politics; it is turnout, a clear contrast and a reminder of what is at stake in Washington.

Willie Nelson has made his choice. Texas voters will make the one that counts.

This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here.

 

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