Far-left streamer Hasan Piker is getting dragged online after calling for Texas Senate nominee James Talarico to "play ball" by governing as a leftist if elected in this year's midterms.Talarico, running to be the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in Texas in more than three decades, has publicly realigned on some of his more radical stances and tried to campaign on a more moderate platform despite his previous comments.But Piker, who has gained prominence through his relationship with socialist-aligned Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, appears to want Talarico to pull a bait-and-switch if he wins in November."Hopefully, after James Talarico wins, we’ve got to hold him to account," Piker said during a campus event at the University of Texas at Austin."We've got to make sure that he doesn’t become another, ‘do nothing Democrat’ ‘business as usual,’ and we've got to keep up that pressure.HASAN PIKER SPEAKS TO UT AUSTIN STUDENTS AFTER BACKLASH FROM TEXAS LAWMAKERSDemocratic U.S.
Senate candidate James Talarico speaks during a campaign rally at the Cailloux Theater on Aug.31, 2026, in Kerrville, Texas.
Talarico is campaigning across the state in a close race against Republican candidate and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton ahead of the Nov.3 general election.
(Brandon Bell/Getty Images)As his campaign has progressed, Talarico has rolled back on some of his controversial statements like his claim that "God is non-binary." But he continues to back progressive policies like universal healthcare, arguing his beliefs stem from "biblical grounds."Piker's recent remarks quickly became ammunition for Republicans.Talarico’s opponent, GOP Senate nominee Ken Paxton, and Sen.
Ted Cruz, R-Texas, pounced, claiming that Piker is saying the quiet part out loud and showing the pressure Talarico could face from the party's left flank if he were to ascend to the U.S.Senate representing the Lone Star State."James Talarico is bought and paid for by the Democ...