Former Texas track-and-field star and social media influencer Sam Hurley made an unexpected move this week—publicly backing Democratic U.S. Senate hopeful James Talarico.
Hurley, now in his fifth year at Texas Tech University, posted a photo to Instagram — where he has more than 1 million followers — alongside Talarico with the simple message: “Vote for Talarico.”
He followed up with a video of Talarico taking the stage at a crowded campaign “Take Back Texas” rally tour stop in Lubbock Sunday night.
The apparent endorsement sparked some surprise on social media, with one X user writing, “Didn’t have this on my bingo card.”
Notably, Hurley’s Instagram does not feature any other political content, and he has not publicly spoken about politics in the past.
Hurley told the American-Statesman that he believes in Talarico and his mission.
“Talarico is the guy to change Texas for the better and make a difference in the world,” Hurley said. “If I can help make a difference, I will!”
A spokesperson for Talarico’s campaign said Hurley’s support was an extension of the campaign’s strategy to engage younger voters.
Hurley, who has been dubbed one of the “most marketable college track athletes in the nation,” has raked in millions through name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals and investment ventures. He has also amassed a massive social media presence across multiple platforms, including Instagram, X, YouTube and TikTok, where he has 3.4 million followers and 177.2 million likes.
He has worked with nationally known mega brands such as Amazon, Google, Jimmy Dean, Optimum Nutrition, Ralph Lauren Polo, TurboTax, Verizon and Vuori—to name a few.
Despite the financial and digital prowess, he describes himself as an “athlete first,” with NIL work “on the side.”
Talarico is seeking the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Sen. John Cornyn.
He faces U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic primary. The Republican primary includes Cornyn, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt. The winner of each primary will face off in the general election.
The state representative has equally cultivated a significant social media following, which his campaign has used to boost his name recognition amongst Texas voters on the campaign trail.
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