Adam Wren

He’s Deeply Religious and a Democrat. He Might Be the Next Big Thing in Texas Politics. James Talarico confounds Fox News hosts, fights the culture wars by quoting scripture, and has fellow Democrats talking about his statewide future.

I wrote the first national profile of @jamestalarico.bsky.social — 2023.

I think it holds up well.

Read:

www.politico.com/news/magazin...

Talarico won his primary. What happens next is outside his control. James Talarico prevailed in a hard-fought Democratic contest. Now he waits to see if he'll face scandal-plagued Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton — or four-term Sen. John Cornyn.

“A perfect storm is lining up for Texas Democrats,” @mmckinnon.bsky.social tells @adamwren.bsky.social. “They have a nominee who can appeal to moderates and soft Republicans. Talarico could be Moses who leads the Lone Star Democrats out of the desert they’ve been in for 35 years.”

He’s Deeply Religious and a Democrat. He Might Be the Next Big Thing in Texas Politics. James Talarico confounds Fox News hosts, fights the culture wars by quoting scripture, and has fellow Democrats talking about his statewide future.

Here's @adamwren.bsky.social's @jamestalarico.bsky.social profile from June of 2023.

New Bench endorsements today first reported by @adamwren.bsky.social in @playbookdc.bsky.social

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore: "I don't answer to the Democratic Party."

"There is no political party that made me. In fact the Democratic Party put millions of dollars to try to stop me from winning," @iamwesmoore.bsky.social told @adamwren.bsky.social at our Governors Summit.

Scoop in @playbookdc.bsky.social: @jamestalarico.bsky.social raised $2.5 million in the 24-hour period post Colbert.

To folks on here: America is careening toward a post-literacy moment faster than I realized, but this is a screenshot of a tweet excerpting a Times article I neither reported nor wrote.

Another month, another Rahm Emanuel policy proposal. What’s he up to? Many of Emanuel’s would-be 2028 rivals are still in office and can point to concrete governing or legislating proposals. He needs another way.

Exclusive @politico.com: Ahead of a three-day swing in battleground Michigan, Rahm Emanuel is rolling out his fourth(!) policy proposal (transitioning military members in civilian life into the trades).

What’s he up to?

www.politico.com/news/2026/02...

Exclusive: Democrats reckon with ICE contractor donations And a federal judge bars the Trump administration from freezing $16 billion in funding for the huge Gateway tunnel project...

From 2017 through at least 2025, @DemGovs took in more than $1.2m over 46 donations from a longtime ICE contractor that runs some of its most criticized detention facilities.

DGA spox says they’re keeping the money:

www.politico.com/newsletters/...

Exclusive: Democrats reckon with ICE contractor donations And a federal judge bars the Trump administration from freezing $16 billion in funding for the huge Gateway tunnel project...

Exclusive @playbookdc.bsky.social: Democratic campaign groups are reckoning with their yearslong past of banking hundreds of thousands of dollars from a longtime ICE contractor.

www.politico.com/newsletters/...

Death of a Sports Section The Washington Post sports department was dismantled before its leaders gave it a chance to change

Me on the death of the Washington Post sports section.

This isn't a day to be nostalgic. It's a day to be angry.
www.theringer.com/2026/02/04/m...

Here's who the Washington Post just laid off.

Michigan’s 3-car pileup of a primary has Senate Democrats worried The race is a crucial test for what the next generation of Democrats will look like — and whether they can prevail in a must-win race for their Senate chances.

Wrote about the most fascinating Democratic primary in the county.

www.politico.com/news/2026/02...

Mark Kelly’s money bomb The Arizona senator's moves thus far have positioned him to be a key fundraiser in 2026 and offer him a platform to build out a 2028 base.

As @adamwren.bsky.social flagged, Kelly sent $5 million to of that cash pile to candidates, state parties and party committees. Kelly was already a money printer. He's now a money bomb.
www.politico.com/news/2026/01...

Bluesky no longer “hot?”

The silver lining in Dems’ 2028 calendar mess And the latest from Minneapolis ...

“I’m not into Democrats sitting on the 30th floor of a Manhattan highrise in their Lululemon outfit with their Yeti cup, talking about, ‘We should go to places that we don’t go’ and then never go,” Emanuel told @playbookdc.bsky.social.

www.politico.com/newsletters/...

www.wtsfoundation.org/spencer-tew/

.@PeteButtigieg takes the stage at the Detroit Auto Show.

Scoop in @playbookdc.bsky.social: @jamestalarico.bsky.social is launching his first statewide ad—backed by 7 figures in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and on statewide cable.

youtu.be/lSZ26-ZJiTs

The plot to redraw America How Donald Trump launched a redistricting caper he couldn’t pull off.

Need to read this from @politico.com's @adamwren.bsky.social and @andrewjfhoward.bsky.social.

What Indiana GOP State Sen. Greg Walker texted the White House when they asked him to meet with the president:

www.politico.com/news/2025/12...

New: Going into the Oval Office in August, Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston didn't back redistricting & had heard the chatter about whether his daughter Liz, an assistant White House press secretary, would be used as leverage in the plot to redraw America.

How it went down in the Oval:

Inside the ongoing caper that did more to shape American politics in 2025 than anything else.

www.politico.com/news/2025/12...

New: Trump’s political operation trained its eyes on a coast-to-coast redistricting project far earlier than has been known, emerging as part of an analysis of looming political threats and opportunities even before he was sworn in this January.

www.politico.com/news/2025/12...

The 2028 Race Has Begun. Here’s Who’s Winning. White House hopefuls in both parties are maneuvering for the post-Trump era. Here’s where they stand at the end of 2025.

Looking forward to it.

Some Democrats are concerned about liberal candidates’ ability to connect with voters in purple and red states.

Our @adamwren.bsky.social and @andrewjfhoward.bsky.social discuss what it means for the midterms on today’s #PlaybookPod.

🎧 youtube.com/watch?v=WCL0i1i1PGs

The front page of the final edition of POLITICO's newspaper

After almost 19 years, @politico.com's newspaper comes to an end with tomorrow's edition.

I've been at the helm of the newspaper for over a decade, and it's been an opportunity unlike anything I would've gotten to do at another organization.

I'll miss the newspaper, but I'm not going anywhere.

Zooming out on the president's recent string of losses, via @playbookdc.bsky.social:

“Trump 2.0 appears at the nadir of its power,” @adamwren.bsky.social writes in Playbook

"I cannot think of another time when the administration wanted something this badly, and failed this catastrophically to get it from Republicans."

@samsteindc.bsky.social, @sonnybunch.bsky.social, and @adamwren.bsky.social on how Indiana Republicans defied Trump and rejected his redistricting push.