Politics · United States · 5 hrs ago
James Talarico’s Texas Senate win revives Brazilian wordplay about his name
James Talarico won a US Senate seat representing Texas, defeating Republican Ken Paxton in the midterm elections.
He is the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Texas in 38 years, and the first Democrat to win a statewide contest there since 1994.
In Brazil, “talarico” is slang for someone who gets involved with a close friend’s romantic partner.
That double meaning has made Talarico’s name a source of Brazilian online jokes, which spread again after his win.
He had already joked about the slang in 2020, saying he would not steal anyone’s girlfriend.
When he takes office, he will be the youngest senator in the new Congress, while his victory gives Democrats a rare Senate win in Texas.
James Talarico won a US Senate seat in Texas, and his name’s Brazilian slang meaning helped fuel online memes about him.
He is the first Democrat elected to represent Texas in the Senate in 38 years and the first Democrat to win a statewide contest there since 1994.
The word “talarico” is Brazilian slang for someone who gets involved with a close friend’s romantic partner.
Talarico had joked about the word in a 2020 social media post after receiving messages from Brazilians.
That post gained renewed attention on November 4 after his Senate win.
- Who
- James Talarico, the newly elected Democratic senator from Texas.
- What
- His Senate victory revived Brazilian memes about the slang meaning of his surname.
- When
- November 4, 2026. Talarico first joked about the word in a 2020 post.
- Where
- Texas and Brazilian social media.
- Why
- The surname resembles a Brazilian slang term for someone who gets involved with a close friend’s romantic partner.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Talarico posted a joke about the Brazilian slang meaning of his name after receiving messages from Brazilians.
After Talarico won the Texas Senate race, the 2020 post gained attention again and Brazilians shared memes about his name.
- Senate seat
- Texas
- Age
- 37
- First Democratic senator for Texas in
- 38 years
- First Democratic statewide victory in Texas since
- 1994
- Earlier joke about his name
- Social media post in 2020
3 sources
What people are saying
I’m just making good public policy here in Texas — I promise I won’t steal your girl.
I’m going viral in Brazil right now... Apparently “talarico” is Brazilian slang for “wife-stealer.” 😂
The slang term comes from this song by Brazilian singer and songwriter Zeca Pagodinho about a man called Talarico who stole his wife. It’s a hit.