Yes, Texas Ad Mirrors Zohran Mamdani's Style

A New Approach to Political Advertising

If you watched state Rep. James Talarico's recently released Texas State Fair tariff ad and thought you'd seen it before, there's a good reason for that—it's because you kind of have. The one-minute video features U.S. Senate candidate Talarico walking through the fairgrounds, buying carnival foods, and criticizing what he claims are higher prices caused by the Trump administration's tariffs on imported foods.

"Tariffs drive up the price of ingredients. So, if small businesses like these vendors want to stay in business, they have to pass that cost along to us," Talarico said. "I don't blame the State Fair; I blame the D.C. politicians who are pushing tariffs and raising the cost of everything."

At one point, Talarico playfully attempts to flip a piece of fried alligator in his mouth, showcasing a lighter approach to a serious topic. This style is arguably reminiscent of self-described Democratic socialist Mayoral primary winner Zohran Mamdani's "Halalflation ad." Not necessarily in substance, but in aesthetics.

Similarities in Campaign Tactics

University of Houston political science lecturer Nancy Sims noted that the similarities are not surprising as Talarico is a "young, energetic" candidate, suggesting people will likely see more campaigning like this in 2026.

"Mamdani ignited a voter population that has not been engaging historically and used social media in a way that has not previously been seen," she continued.

Sims emphasized that the similarity lies in "campaign tactics," not actual politics, as politicians—even those in Mamdani's own party—are cautious about aligning themselves with the Democratic socialist.

The January 2025 video, which garnered considerable online attention (whether loved or hated), featured Mamdani explaining his support for bills not yet voted on by the New York City Council. He argued that they would reduce the price of New Yorkers' beloved street vendor dishes from $10 to $7 or $8.

"New York is suffering from a crisis, and it's called Halalflation," Mamdani said as he grabbed a spoonful of what appeared to be meat over rice and spoke with a nearly full mouth straight into the microphone he held.

Mamdani hopped into the vendors' trucks, asking them how the permitting process worked, how much it cost, and whether they could charge less if the bills that modified such processes were passed. He then asked passersby if they would rather pay $10 or $8 for halal. All of them obviously chose the cheaper option.

A Comparative Look at Political Ads

People praised Mamdani's approach, with an Instagram user writing, "Brilliant," and another one dubbing it the "best political ad I've seen in my lifetime." The ad did get criticism, with one user writing, "The problem is not only the permit. You won't be able to charge less than $10. The [supply] prices are volatile."

Just as Mamdani broke down the components of the issue he was addressing, Talarico grabbed each snack example—deep-fried Oreos, a funnel cake sandwich, fried alligator bites and the "Big Tex" Turkey leg—to illustrate his point by comparing their current costs to those in the past.

"When you walk into the voting booth next November," Talarico said in reference to when he'll be on the ballot. "Remember this $25 turkey leg."

Musically, the two ads were similar, with Mamdani speaking to the sound of instrumental Middle Eastern music, and Talarico talking as a nondescript country melody played lightly in the background.

"[Talarico's] definitely connecting to this concern about prices and it affects people in a very real way," University of Houston political science professor Brandon Rottinghaus told The News Pulse. "I think it's a fun way to do it. It's a kind of tongue-in-cheek way to tell people that this is an issue of priority for his campaign."

Key Differences and Public Reaction

What was missing from Talarico's but noticeable in Mamdani's was the New York City Democratic mayoral primary winner's willingness to interact with those around him. While Mamdani was seen inside the halal vendors' trucks, Talarico spoke to the camera, only coming face-to-face with those he was buying food from.

Talarico's also performed differently. Mamdani's work garnered a mixed bag of support on X, while Talarico's received significant disapproval. Most of Talarico's support came from Instagram.

The Texas House Democrat's ad sparked controversy as X users questioned how tariffs were "jacking up" the prices featured in the video—all of which they argued are American foods. Some also pointed to prices that have been continually rising over the years.

Other X users supported Talarico's statements. One respondent wrote, "He's not wrong, @GregAbbott_TX," the user said. "Actually, the only ones eating well are Greg Abbott's elite eating forces." A photo of the Texas National Guard troops, who were sent back to the state after not meeting physical fitness standards during a Trump-issued deployment to Chicago, accompanied the comment.

"$15 for a corn dog," another X user wrote, "Nobody can go."

Criticism of Talarico's video also extended past the actual messaging, devolving into cheap shots over the Texas Senate hopeful's appearance.

"Nice shirt," his Texas House GOP colleague Jeff Leach (R-Allen) said of Talarico's Texas flag-style button-down. "Does it come in men's sizes?!" Fellow Republican state Rep. Hillary Hickland (R-Belton) took another jab at Talarico's apparent inability to catch the alligator bite in his mouth. "You missed," Hickland said, adding a screenshot of the bite passing by Talarico's mouth but allegedly not landing in it.

Leach's below-the-belt hit did not land well with some online, with X users condemning his "unstatesmanlike" remark.

Although the model of how the two candidates presented the issues each discussed had parallels, Rottinghaus argues that comparisons stopped there.

"I think there are some similarities in that he is talking about a very common sense everyday issue for Texans, but I don't think the comparisons go much beyond that," he said. "This is a different issue. They're running for different offices, and they're using this to make a different point."

Rottinghaus noted that it is common for campaigns, particularly insurgent campaigns, to replicate what others are doing. He added that though not "automatically connected to Mamdani or his candidacy," Talarico likely took the spirit of that ad and applied it in a setting that is more Texan and connected to his run for Senate.

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