From Trump to Talarico: Why a conservative voter in Starr County crossed party lines

Across Texas, no county swung farther to the left in the 2026 elections than Starr County along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Lifelong conservative Rosbell Barrera is among those who shifted the tides.

The Rio Grande City native voted in 2024 to reelect Republican Sen. Ted Cruz and President Donald Trump.

For the first time in his life, Barrera cast a vote for a Democrat in a statewide office: James Talarico.

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“This time around, I made an exception because of Paxton running for Senate,” he said.

Barrera said he was hesitant to share his decision because of judgement in the community. Paxton’s scandals are part of what caused Barrera to shift his support.

“Even though there’s things that bothered me about (Talarico), I’m not voting for the social part,” he said. “I’m voting for a new voice.”

Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa is from the Rio Grande Valley, but Barrera said he had put his trust in Gov. Greg Abbott.

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Starr County voter Cecilia Hernandez said sharing a similar upbringing with the state’s next leader is a source of pride.

“Almost like it was having a pope from the United States,” said Hernandez. “That level of representation.”

Hernandez said immigration, her heath, reproductive rights, and the economy’s impact on her family’s garbage truck business kept her vote blue down the ballot.

“Our diesel prices went up about, between $10,000 and $12,000,” she said.

Barrera shares several of those concerns, adding that the war in Iran played a role in his split vote.

“My loyalty is to my country, not a party,” he said.

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