Several prominent cast members from the critically acclaimed television series Friday Night Lights have stepped into the political arena to support Texas State Rep. James Talarico in his high-profile Senate bid. Actors Connie Britton, Jesse Plemons, and Adrianne Palicki appeared in a campaign advertisement that aired over the weekend to help launch Talarico’s statewide tour as the midterm elections approach.
The political spot deliberately evokes the beloved fictional Dillon High School football team from the NBC drama that ran from 2005 to 2011, starring Britton alongside Kyle Chandler. The campaign ad prominently repurposes the show’s iconic motivational battle cry, “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose,” tying the cultural touchstone to Talarico’s electoral push ahead of Election Day on November 3. The video also features a brief cameo appearance by country music star Kacey Musgraves, who greets the candidate from the front row near the 56-second mark.
The endorsement comes as the race between Talarico, a Democrat, and Republican Ken Paxton has increasingly tightened into a competitive toss-up. Recent surveys show the two candidates running neck-and-neck, with most polling results falling within the margin of error as the contest shapes up to be the most expensive of the 2006 midterm cycle.
A survey released on Thursday by InsiderAdvantage placed Paxton with a narrow 49 percent to 48 percent advantage over Talarico. Meanwhile, polling data published on Tuesday by Quantus Insights depicted an equally close contest, giving the Republican attorney general a slim lead of 47.2 percent to 46.7 percent.
According to Quantus Insights, Paxton’s slight edge is partially attributable to Talarico having already maximized his base of support among registered Democrats across the state. However, the same Tuesday poll highlighted a significant advantage for Talarico among independent voters, where the Democratic candidate secured a 15-point edge, leading 52 percent to 37 percent.
