Source: Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers / Getty
Texas Southern University students brought HBCU homecoming energy straight to the ballot box on Friday, Oct. 23, as Houston rapper Monaleo and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico joined a campus march to the polls ahead of the November midterm elections.
The gathering at TSU brought students and political figures together during Texas’ early voting period. Talarico, a Democratic state representative, is challenging Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the Nov. 3 election.
Monaleo And James Talarico Join Texas Southern’s March To The Polls
According to an Oct. 23 post on X by Christian D. Menefee, Texas Southern students marched together to vote as Talarico and Monaleo visited campus.
Menefee shares footage of students walking together and photographs featuring the Senate candidate and Houston rapper.
“Proud to welcome @themonaleo and @jamestalarico to Texas Southern University!” Menefee wrote on X. “Amazing to see so many students marching together to the voting booth to make their voices heard at the ballot box.”
Dr. Letitia Plummer, a candidate for Harris County judge, also documents the gathering on X, sharing photographs alongside students.
“The energy at Texas Southern University was powerful!” Plummer wrote. “Proud to stand alongside James Talarico and a community ready to fight for a better Texas. Now, let’s take that same energy to the polls. Harris County, early voting is underway!”
Monaleo Encourages Her Followers To Vote Blue
Monaleo also shared photographs alongside Talarico at the campus of Texas Southern in a collaborative Instagram post with the Senate candidate, bringing her signature personality to the political gathering.
“everythang blueeeeeee! political pimpcess outside w @jamestalarico,” the rapper captioned the post, accompanied by blue and pink heart emojis.
”Putting blue all the way DINE the ballot! GO VOTE!” she wrote.
The photographs showed Monaleo posing with Talarico and attendees, extending the campus voting initiative to her social media audience.
Talarico Takes Aim At Elon Musk’s Political Spending
The TSU appearance comes as Talarico intensifies his criticism of billionaire Elon Musk’s financial involvement in the Senate race.
According to The Guardian, Talarico accuses Musk of attempting to influence the election during an Oct. 23 rally at the University of Texas at Austin.
“Elon Musk is trying to buy the Senate seat,” Talarico said.
The Guardian states that federal filings show Musk contributing $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund, which transferred the same amount to Texas PAC, a Republican super PAC supporting Paxton.
Talarico also accuses Musk of seeking influence over Texas land, water and tax dollars.
“He is trying to buy Texas. But on November 3rd, we are going to deliver a crystal clear message to the world’s first trillionaire: Texas is not for sale.”
Texas Southern Continues Its Tradition Of Political Engagement
Texas Southern University is a hotbed for bringing political conversation to their students. Just three weeks earlier, former U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke visited TSU for a voter registration initiative alongside Powered by People volunteers.
In an Oct. 1 Facebook post featuring photographs with students, O’Rourke wrote, “Thank you Texas Southern students and Powered by People volunteers for making the last Thursday of voter registration count!”
For Wilson Chaney, a member of TSU’s Class of 2022, seeing students participate in the democratic process was a source of pride during homecoming season.
“As an alumni, I’m just so proud to see students take initiative and somebody like Monaleo to come in and help bring them to the polls. That’s a huge deal,” Chaney said. “Even if it’s a celebrity influence or just their intuition, the students got to go out to the polls and I’m glad they’re doing just that.”
In the Guardian, an Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media survey released Oct. 22 found Talarico leading Paxton 48% to 46%.
With early voting underway since Oct. 19, TSU’s latest march brings civic engagement into homecoming festivities, demonstrating how students and community figures are participating in Texas’ closely watched election.
