Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico is vowing to target large healthcare companies if he is elected, as Republicans begin ramping up attack ads against him.

Talarico has come out in support of the bipartisan Break Up Big Medicine Act, which would prohibit a company from operating as both a medical provider and insurer or pharmacy benefit manager (PBM). 

The bill, co-sponsored by Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Republican Sen. Josh Hawley, would also bar prescription drug and medical device companies from providing medical services. 

In a panel discussion with businessman Mark Cuban in Fort Worth, Talarico argued the healthcare industry in the United States had turned into a monopoly where a handful of companies control the supply chain, which has led to a sharp increase in prescription drug and medical care costs in recent years. 

He singled out CVS, which, in addition to being the largest drugstore chain in the country, is also one of the three main PBMs – along with Cigna and UnitedHealth Group – and one of the biggest healthcare insurance providers. 

“It is insane that one company can literally control the hospital where you pay to get care, the pharmacy where you pay for your medications, and the insurance company that decides what you pay,” Talarico said. “These monopolies are profiting off our pain.”

In addition to voicing his support for the legislation proposed in the U.S. Senate, Talarico has unveiled his own healthcare plan which he says will allow people to shop around for medication and account that expense against their deductions on their tax return.

“What it means is more competition; it means more options, which means lower prices,” Talarico told the audience in Fort Worth last month. 

Talarico has often cited his own personal experience with Type 1 diabetes in his pitch for healthcare reform. After being diagnosed in 2018, Talarico said he was unable to afford the $684 bill for a 30-day supply of insulin and had to pay using a credit card. As a Texas state representative, he played a role in the passage of Senate Bill 827 in 2021, which capped co-pay for insulin in the state to $25. The measure only applies to those with healthcare insurance plans administered in Texas.

Senate Race Heats Up

Talarico’s comments come as Super PACs aligned with his Republican opponent, Attorney General Ken Paxton, have poured money into the race amid signs Democrats could successfully flip the state blue come November. 

Based on recent filings with the Federal Election Commission, the Senate Leadership Fund, a GOP-affiliated Super PAC, has invested $54 million into the race. Meanwhile, Lone Star Liberty PAC, another pro-Paxton group, has launched a $10 million ad campaign targeting Talarico, according to their own FEC filings. 

The investment from Super PACs is a boost to Paxton, who has been criticized from those within his own party for meager fundraising numbers. Super PACs can spend an unlimited amount of money on an election but cannot directly contribute or coordinate with a specific candidate or campaign.

According to filings, Paxton’s campaign raised roughly $9 million in the second quarter of this year, compared to the over $30 million Talarico’s campaign received during the same period. 

Sen. John Cornyn, who Paxton defeated in the Senate GOP primary in May, called the fellow Republican a “poor campaigner” who is “lazy and doesn’t raise money” in an interview last month with The Texas Tribune. 

In addition to pumping more money into the Senate race, Republicans sought to further improve Paxton’s profile during the party’s midterm convention held in Dallas last week, which included an appearance by President Trump. 

Talarico has surged to a five-point lead over Paxton with just under two months left until the November 3 election, according to a poll by SoCal Strategies released this week. A poll conducted by the same firm in June showed Paxton with a two-point lead over Talarico. 

Democrats need a net-gain of four seats in order to take control of the Senate.