Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico’s campaign confirmed on Thursday, July 30th, 2026, that the truck he is seen driving in a viral campaign advertisement does not belong to him.

Talarico, who owns a midsize Chevy Colorado that has appeared in previous ads and profiles, is shown driving a full-sized Dodge Ram 1500 in the new campaign commercial titled "Waking Up." The ad features Talarico driving through Texas, also known as the Lone Star State, while a voiceover highlights his plans to "make this economy work for working people again." Shots of the Dodge Ram are interspersed with images of hardworking Texans.

The license plate on the Dodge Ram in the ad is linked to an Enterprise rental, indicating the vehicle was rented for production purposes. Talarico’s campaign spokesperson JT Ennis told Fox News Digital, "We tried to shoot in his Chevy first, but it was too dark to film."

Conservatives have mocked Talarico for the vehicle switch, accusing him of trying to "look like a real Texan." However, the campaign maintains the change was solely for filming reasons.

Semafor political reporter David Weigel noted the "odd detail" of the vehicle swap in the ad.

Sources