Hunt and Talarico hold campaign events in North Texas; Dallas pastor launches House bid

DALLAS - It was a busy day in North Texas for politicians. 

Both Wesley Hunt and James Talarico were in town for Senate campaign events. 

Dallas Pastor Freddy Haynes also launched his U.S. House bid.

Wesley Hunt in Dallas

Hunt, a Republican congressman from the Houston area, was in Dallas on Monday for a campaign event.

He is facing off with Attorney General Ken Paxton and incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the March primary election. 

Many expect the Republican primary for Senate to go to a runoff.

What they're saying:

Hunt has tried to differentiate himself from Cornyn but hasn’t focused much on Paxton. FOX 4’s Steven Dial asked him about that.

"Well, because this is actually about ensuring that we know that the United States Senate is not a retirement community. This is not about really taking shots at anybody. This is more about just elucidating people to the differences that I have and being a very strong conservative, as I have been in the House of Representatives. This is about drawing the contrast between me and the current incumbent. That's really what this is all about," he said.

Hunt also answered questions about inflation and the economy.

"Price of egg and gasoline, they're down. Are they down enough? No, but President Trump hasn't been in office for even a year yet. I tell people, ‘Trinquilo, por favor. Relax, calm down. It's only been a year.’ It takes a year to even implement enough policies in order for the economy and the effects of the economy to catch up. We're not going to see the impact until probably the end of Q1, the end of Q2 of this year. And you're right, inflation is down, and it's going to continue to come down," he said.

James Talarico in Plano

The Democrat from Round Rock, Texas will hold an event at 6 p.m. in Plano.

Talarico is currently serving as a state representative and will challenge Dallas Congresswoman Jasmin Crockett to become the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate.

In the latest Texas Southern University poll, Talarico is trailing Crockett 51 to 43.

The two will meet in a debate on Saturday.

Early voting for the primary election begins on Feb. 17.

Freddy Haynes Launches Campaign

Haynes, a mega-church leader from Dallas who is running for Congress, held his first campaign event in Dallas.

He’s hoping to fill the Democratic seat currently held by Crockett since she's running for U.S. Senate.

Despite the Republican redistricting, this seat is still a safe bet for Democrats.

What they're saying:

The Friendship West Baptist Church pastor said he's looking to transition from the pulpit to politics because a recent health scare made him more focused on the health disparities in District 30.

"It's one thing to be on the outside looking in and talking about how things are. It's another thing to get in the fight. And I am here to get in the fight and make things happen," he told FOX 4's Steven Dial. "It's part of the extension of public service that my life has been characterized by. I am not new to public service. I try to be true to it so as a consequence, I'm simply taking and extending the pulpit and platform to Washington D.C."

As for his own health, Haynes said he is feeling better now than he did before his surgery in September.

"Again, I saw up close and personal both how expensive healthcare is as well as how necessary affordable healthcare is for everyone. And that was a part of what also opened my eyes to this reality. I had a certain privilege because of good health care that too many don't have," he said.

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