US senator-elect James Talarico made his first public appearance after winning a historic Texas Senate race by visiting the Houston memorial of Lorenzo Salgado and placing an “I voted” sticker at the site.
His campaign said hundreds of Texans had already placed voting stickers at the memorial, turning the location into a place of remembrance after the 52-year-old construction worker’s death. He became the first Democratic U.S. senator from Texas since 1988, winning 49.4% of the vote in a closely contested election. “Lorenzo Salgado lived in this country for 35 years.
Talarico, a Democrat, defeated Republican Ken Paxton and Libertarian candidate Ted Brown in the Texas Senate race. “Lorenzo, our fellow Texan, deserves justice — and that’s exactly what I’ll fight for in the U.S. Senate.”
As a construction worker, he sent his three boys to college,” Talarico said. Talarico visited the Canal Street memorial on Saturday, marking four months since Salgado’s death.
His latest visit came as he prepared to enter the Senate and shape his national political agenda.
Talarico previously visited Salgado’s memorial in August, according to his campaign. The memorial has become a gathering point for residents who have left “I voted” stickers after casting ballots. Talarico said the gesture represented Texans remembering Salgado and demanding accountability. Salgado’s son, Ronaldo Salgado, thanked Talarico for returning to the memorial, according to KHOU . He said the senator-elect’s visit showed support for Latino and immigrant communities in Houston’s East End. “My family and the rest of the East End are thankful that Senator-elect Talarico is making the visit to my dad’s memorial,” Ronaldo Salgado said.
