James Dell Talarico ( born James Dell Causey, May 17, 1989) is an American politician, Presbyterian seminarian, and former public school teacher serving since 2018 as a member of the Texas House of Representatives.[A member of the Democratic Party, Talarico has been called a "rising star" among Texas Democrats. Born in Round Rock, Texas, Talarico graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts in government. He later joined Teach For America, where he taught sixth-grade English language arts in San Antonio. Afterward, he served as the Central Texas executive director for Reasoning Mind, a nonprofit focused on bringing technology to low-income classrooms. He later graduated from Harvard University with a Master of Education degree in education policy. In the legislature, Talarico serves as vice chair of the Texas House's Trade, Workforce, and Economic Development Committee and of the Subcommittee on Academic and Career-Oriented Education of the Public Education Committee. He is also a member of the Public Education and House Administration Committees. In September 2025, Talarico announced his candidacy for the 2026 U.S. Senate race in Texas.
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Paxton dodges ethics questions while claiming Talarico isn’t Christian Ken Paxton surrounded by Texas sheriffs at the July 21 news conference. Within the last week, Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton has claimed his opponent holds views “antithetical … to historical Christian views” while refusing to answer questions about his own alleged illegal voting. Paxton, a Southern Baptist layman, will face Presbyterian minister James Talarico in this November’s general election for a U.S. Senate seat from Texas. Paxton already defeated Republican incumbent John Cornyn, a devout Catholic, in the May primary. Paxton has been dogged by ethics complaints for decades and was impeached by the Texas House of Representatives but spared conviction by the Texas Senate after Donald Trump threatened revenge against any state senator who voted against Paxton. This year, Trump endorsed Paxton in the primary despite a trail of ethics complaints.. (Baptist News Global 7.21.26)READMORE>>>>>> Democratic Pastors Run To Reclaim Jesus From Trump's Republican Perhaps the most prominent is James Talarico, a 37-year-old Presbyterian seminarian running for a Senate seat in Texas. In a staunchly conservative, Republican-led state, his Scripture-laden speeches have helped him make deep inroads. "You want to know what insults Jesus? Kicking the sick off health care while cutting the taxes of billionaires," Talarico said in one speech. (Barrons 7.11.26)READMORE>>>>>> Ted Cruz says Talarico has chance to flip Texas, what polls show Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican, said earlier this week that Democrat James Talarico has a “real chance” of flipping the traditionally red state in this year’s Senate race against Republican nominee Ken Paxton. Speaking on Sean Hannity’s radio show Wednesday while Governor Greg Abbott served as guest host earlier this week, Cruz, one of Texas’ most prominent Republicans, said he expects the Senate race to be very close, potentially decided by just a few percentage points. (MSN 7.10.26)READMORE>>>>>> July 10, 2026: Dear Rep. Talarico, My name is Jeff Mullen. As a pastor who spent 30 years shepherding God’s people, I have learned that what we believe about God shapes everything else. That is why I am writing this letter. I do not write as a political opponent, but as a fellow citizen concerned about the growing confusion surrounding faith, truth and Scripture. Because you frequently speak about Christianity, quote the Bible and present your views as expressions of Christian conviction, I believe those claims deserve to be examined in light of God’s Word. One of my greatest concerns is that many people know you are currently pursuing a master of divinity degree at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary while serving as a Texas state representative and working toward ordination in the Presbyterian Church (USA). As a result, many people understandably assume that your theological conclusions represent historic Biblical Christianity. Your words, therefore, carry weight far beyond politics. When theological claims are presented in the Name of Christ, people naturally assume they are hearing Biblical truth. My concern is that some of the positions you advocate may lead sincere people away from the clear teaching of Scripture and toward a version of Christianity that reflects the spirit of the age more than the Word of God. In over 30 years of ministry, I have sat beside hospital beds, preached funerals, counseled struggling families and watched countless people wrestle with questions of faith. One lesson stands above the rest: When we drift from Scripture, confusion always follows. James warns that those who teach will be judged more strictly (James 3:1). That reality has humbled me throughout my ministry, and it should humble anyone who publicly speaks in the Name of Christ. For that reason, I offer these thoughts—not as an attack, but as a pastoral appeal for Biblical clarity and faithfulness. 1. Concerning Your Statement that God Is Non-Binary God is spirit and transcends human limitations. Christians agree on that. The question, however, is not how modern culture categorizes God but how God has chosen to reveal Himself. Throughout Scripture, God consistently reveals Himself as Father. Jesus taught His disciples to pray, “Our Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:9). Christ is the Son, and the Church is His Bride. These are not accidental descriptions but part of God’s self-revelation. Every generation faces the temptation to reshape God according to its own values. Ancient cultures carved idols from stone. Modern cultures often carve them from ideology. Faithful Christianity begins by allowing God to define Himself rather than redefining Him according to cultural preferences. We do not improve upon divine revelation; we submit to it. 2. Concerning Your Statement That Other Religions Are Circling the Same Truth Respect for people of different faiths is a Christian virtue. Surrendering truth is not. The suggestion that multiple religions ultimately lead to the same God stands in direct conflict with the words of Jesus Himself. Jesus declared, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). Peter echoed that truth when he proclaimed, “There is salvation in no one else” (Acts 4:12). Christianity does not teach that all roads lead to God. It teaches that God has provided one Savior for the world. We can love our neighbors of every faith while remaining faithful to the exclusive claims of Christ. 3. Concerning Your Statement That the Bible Is Silent on Abortion While Scripture does not use the modern term abortion, it speaks clearly about life in the womb. David wrote, “You knit me together in my mother’s womb” (Psalm 139:13). God told Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you” (Jeremiah 1:5). John the Baptist responded to Christ while still in his mother’s womb (Luke 1:41). The consistent testimony of Scripture is that unborn children are known by God, created by God and valued by God. The question is not whether the word abortion appears in the Bible. The question is whether the child in the womb is a human life bearing God’s image. Scripture answers that question repeatedly and clearly. Christians have historically defended the unborn not because of politics, but because every human life belongs to God. During my years in ministry, I learned that God does not call pastors to make Scripture popular. He calls us to make it plain.4. Concerning Your Use of Mary’s Consent to Defend Abortion Rights Mary’s response to Gabriel was not an assertion of autonomy but an expression of surrender. When told of God’s plan, she replied, “I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). The entire story of the incarnation celebrates the acceptance and protection of life within the womb. God Himself entered humanity through the womb of a woman. Mary’s example is not about the right to end life but the willingness to trust God with it. To use the incarnation as support for abortion requires reversing the very message the story proclaims. 5. Concerning Your Statement that Jesus Was a Radical Feminist Jesus elevated the dignity of women in ways that challenged the culture of His day. He taught women, ministered to women, welcomed them among His followers and entrusted women with proclaiming His resurrection. Yet calling Jesus a radical feminist places a modern political label on One who transcends every political movement. Jesus did not come to advance an ideology; He came to save sinners and establish the Kingdom of God. Every political movement must ultimately be measured against Christ—not Christ against a political movement. 6. Concerning Your Statements About Biological Sex Conversations about sex and gender involve real people and often deep personal struggles. Christians should approach them with compassion and humility. Yet compassion cannot require the abandonment of truth. Scripture teaches that humanity was intentionally created as male and female. Genesis declares, “Male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27), and Jesus reaffirmed that truth (Matthew 19:4). The Christian understanding of sex is rooted not in cultural tradition but in God’s design. Our identity is not ultimately discovered through self-definition but through submission to the One who created us. God’s design is not restrictive; it is wise and good. 7. Concerning Your Support for Same-Sex Marriage and the Reinterpretation of Biblical Sexual Ethics Few issues create more tension in modern Christianity than sexuality and marriage. The temptation is either to compromise truth in the name of love or to abandon love in the name of truth. Scripture calls us to neither. From Genesis to Revelation, marriage is presented as a covenant between one man and one woman. Jesus affirmed this design when He quoted Genesis and declared that the two become one flesh (Matthew 19:4-6). The New Testament consistently teaches that sexual intimacy belongs within that covenant. These teachings are not expressions of fear or hostility. They are expressions of God’s design for human flourishing. The call of discipleship is not the affirmation of every desire but the surrender of every area of life to the Lordship of Christ. 8. Concerning the Danger of Reshaping Christianity to Fit Culture The deeper concern behind these issues is the temptation to reshape Christianity so it aligns more comfortably with the values of the age. The Church has faced this pressure for 2,000 years. The source changes; the temptation remains the same. Paul warned Timothy that a time would come when people would seek teachers who tell them what they want to hear rather than what God has said (2 Timothy 4:3-4). The role of Christian leaders is not to make Scripture acceptable to the culture. It is to faithfully proclaim Scripture, whether the culture applauds or rejects it. During my years in ministry, I learned that God does not call pastors to make Scripture popular. He calls us to make it plain. When culture becomes the lens through which we interpret Scripture, truth is eventually replaced by preference. The question for every generation is not whether the Bible aligns with the culture, but whether we are willing to align ourselves with the Bible. The temptation is either to compromise truth in the name of love or to abandon love in the name of truth. Scripture calls us to neither. The Biblical Responsibility of Leaders Representative Talarico, politics is temporary. Elections are temporary. Legislative victories are temporary. Souls are not. Scripture teaches that those who influence others bear a greater responsibility before God. James warns that teachers will be judged more strictly. Jesus warns against leading others astray. These truths should humble every pastor, teacher, author, influencer and public servant who speaks in God’s Name. They certainly humble me. For 30 years, I stood behind a pulpit knowing that one day I would answer to God for every sermon I preached and every truth I taught. The same is true for anyone who publicly speaks about faith and Scripture. The older I get, the less interested I am in winning arguments and the more concerned I am about whether people know the truth. My concern is not your political party. My concern is whether the Jesus being presented to the public is the Jesus revealed in Scripture or a version reshaped by the spirit of the age. America does not need progressive Christianity or conservative Christianity. America needs Biblical Christianity—faithful to God’s Word, centered on Christ and unafraid to proclaim truth in love. My prayer for you is the same prayer I pray for myself: that every belief, every ambition, and every public statement would be brought under the authority of Scripture. Because one day neither of us will stand before voters, political parties, commentators or public opinion. We will stand before God and give an account. Respectfully, Jeff Mullen Pastor Emeritus Follower of Jesus Christ The rise of the Christian left could reshape 2028 James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Texas, has received an onslaught of media attention for his progressive Christian identity, which is emerging as a defining factor in his campaign against MAGA firebrand and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.The race will be a proving ground for 2028. Among the rumored contenders for the Democratic nomination are at least five unabashed Christians whose faith easily coexists with their liberal political agendas: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, former Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock. Former Vice President Kamala Harris, although she doesn’t talk about her faith to the same degree as this group, also counts herself a believer (Salon 6.26.26)READMORE>>>>>> Talarico’s Slippery ‘Christian Who Hates Christianity’ Audio Resurfaced State Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin), the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, described himself as "a Christian who hates Christianity" in a resurfaced 2021 podcast interview with a self-described "TransQueer" activist theologian. The audio, unearthed and shared recently by the Republican National Committee's research arm, has intensified scrutiny over Talarico's theological views as he faces Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the November 2026 general election.Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian, made the comment while discussing institutional religion. He has previously described God as "non-binary" during a 2021 Texas House floor debate, as previously covered by The Dallas Express. (Yahoo 6.23.26)READMORE>>>>>> The arrogance of Jeffress’ claims about James Talarico Robert Jeffress says James Talarico “twists Scripture.” The problem here is not Talarico but Jeffress. Of the U.S. Senate candidate from Texas, he said: “He is pleasant in his demeanor; he appears to know the Scripture. Even though he twists Scripture, he could be very appealing to people who aren’t educated in what the Bible really teaches.”Evangelicals like Jeffress automatically assume other Christian readers of the Bible are “twisting Scripture” if they read it differently than they do. Jeffress puts great stress on the authority of the Bible as the only guide for life. But if the Bible is so clear, why aren’t all evangelicals in agreement rather than divided over how to interpret it? For instance, Jeffress would not agree speaking in tongues is the essential gift Pentecostals insist it is. (Baptist News Global 6.21.26) READMORE>>> Talarico taking on MAGA Vote Common Good, an organization hostile to "MAGA Trumpism," has been tracking some 30 white Christian clergy or seminarians seeking public office in this election cycle. Democrats hope such candidates might convey an appealing, pious image in conservative precincts. Eight of these is running for Congress, where few ordained ministers have served throughout American history. The highest-profile example by far is in Texas, where Democrats hope James Talarico, a squeaky-clean progressive state legislator and outspokenly religious seminary student, can flip a Republican U.S. Senate seat. His opponent is Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Southern Baptist whose frequent "scandal-plagued" label in news articles is understandable.(Democrat Gazette 6.20.26)READMORE>>>>>> Christian faith drives Talarico’s Senate campaign James Talarico’s supporters wear T-shirts emblazoned with a direct reference to the Bible: “It’s time to start flipping tables.” The slogan refers to the story of Jesus overturning the tables of merchants and money changers at the temple in Jerusalem. In Texas politics, Christian Scripture has often been the language of Republican campaigns. Talarico, the Democrat running for the US Senate, has made it a defining feature of his own. It’s a faith that has led some Republicans to accuse him of warping Christianity to fit a progressive agenda. His conservative critics have said he is too liberal to represent Texas. Some have even called him blasphemous. (Valoley Press 6.13.26)READMORE>>>>>> The Rise of Right-Wing “Biblical Economics” Current events are awash in the same. Pope Leo’s recently released encyclical included a sharply worded critique of the widening wealth gap and warned that an economy based on artificial intelligence could create “‘second-class’ humans.” And the Texas Senate race between James Talarico and Ken Paxton is unfolding as a public debate over the meaning of the faith: Is Christianity a religion of empathy and neighborly love, as Talarico asserts, or one of religious authoritarianism? (The New Republic 6.2.26)READMORE>>>>>> Obama meets with Talarico, aiming to boost Democrat’s bid for US Senate in Texas Former President Barack Obama met with U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico Tuesday in Texas, putting his support behind a campaign that Democrats see as a shot, if a long one, for the party to win statewide in the reliably conservative state. Obama lunched with Talarico and Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, the nominee running to unseat Texas’ Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, at a taco shop in Austin. The visit was meant to give the candidates a boost from one of the more liked figures in the Democratic Party. Obama has been highlighting younger leaders in the party, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who he joined recently in the Bronx to promote free child care. (Boston Herald 5.13.26)READMORE>>>>> Texas Dem James Talarico rips 'un-Christian' court decision on what's allowed in classrooms Texas Democrat James Talarico slammed a court ruling this week allowing Texas to enforce a law requiring classrooms to display the 10 Commandments, calling it a "deeply un-Christian decision." He decried "Christian nationalism," saying, "I’m a Christian, but I know that the most dangerous form of government is theocracy." Talarico, a Democratic Texas state representative, is running to flip one of Texas’ Senate seats blue for the first time in decades. Democrats believe Talarico has a real shot at defeating either incumbent GOP Sen. John Cornyn or current state Attorney General Ken Paxton. A Talarico victory would be devastating to the GOP’s hopes of retaining or expanding its Senate majority this November. (Fox News 4.24.26)READMORE>>>>> Talarico hits back at Hegseth pastor who called for his death: ‘I still love you’ Texas Senate candidate James Talarico (D) responded with “love” after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s pastor suggested he should be “crucified.” “Jesus loves. Christian Nationalism kills,” Talarico wrote Tuesday on the social platform X. “You may pray for my death, Pastor, but I still love you,” he continued. “I love you more than you could ever hate me.” Evangelical pastor Brooks Potteiger, who serves as a close spiritual adviser to Hegseth, lambasted the Democratic Presbyterian seminarian for his interpretation of the Bible and defense of transgender minors during a recent podcast interview. (The Hill; 3.25.26)READMORE>>>>>> |
James Talarico just packed the Plano Event Center in Collin County—blew the roof off Ken Paxton's own backyard—with 4,000+ people, standing room only, and lines wrapped around the buildin
January 13,2026: New York Times reported: One of my obsessions over the last few years has been the role of attention in modern American politics: the way attention is a fundamental currency, the way it works differently than it did at other times when it was controlled by newspaper editorial boards. So I’ve been particularly interested in politicians who seem native to this attentional era, who seem to have figured something out. We’ve talked a lot about how the Trump administration uses attention, how Zohran Mamdani uses attention. But somebody who has been breaking through over the past year in a very interesting way is James Talarico, a state representative from Texas.
January 31, 2026: Yahoo reported: Texas Democrat U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico is facing renewed outrage for his comments on God and faith after claiming on a podcast that atheists are "more Christ-like than" some of his Christian colleagues in the Texas House."Instead of putting the 10 Commandments in every classroom, instead of forcing school children to read the Bible against their wills, why don't we, all of us, look inward and figure out how we can be more Christ-like, even when it's uncomfortable," Talarico, a Democrat in the Texas House, said on the "Politics War Room" podcast published Friday. The podcast is hosted by journalist Al Hunt and Democratic strategist James Carville.
January 19, 2026: Christian Post reported: A Texas state lawmaker and U.S. Senate hopeful says, despite the nation's founding documents being based on the “radical teachings of Jesus,” the United States is “not a Christian nation.” During a Jan. 13 episode of the "Vote Common Good" podcast, Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, explained why he rejects the notion of Christian nationalism, which he described as “an attempt to dominate our neighbors instead of loving them as ourselves.”
February 18, 2026: El Paso Times reported: Late night television fans got a glimpse of one of the leading U.S. Senate candidates in Texas this week. State Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, appeared on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" Monday, Feb. 16, in a segment that aired on YouTube because of ongoing pressure from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under President Donald Trump's administration. “I think Donald Trump is worried we’re about to flip Texas," Talarico said in a news release. "This is the party that ran against cancel culture. Now they’re trying to control what we watch, what we say, and what we read. This is the most dangerous kind of cancel culture, the kind that comes from the top. A threat to one of our first amendment rights is a threat to all of our first amendment rights.”
February 21, 2026: The Hill reported: By now, you’ve heard of the controversy surrounding CBS lawyers’ decision not to air Stephen Colbert’s interview with Texas candidate for U.S. Senate James Talarico (D) — likely for fear of offending President Trump’s FCC. This all but guaranteed that everyone immediately wanted to see it. Media observers call this the “Streisand effect,” which occurs when an attempt to hide something makes it more famous — named for Barbra Streisand’s effort to suppress aerial photos taken of her home in 2003. ”This unexpected attention could give Talarico a meaningful boost in his upcoming Democratic primary. If he ultimately wins the nomination — and the subsequent Senate campaign — the ripple effects could extend far beyond Texas, potentially flipping the U.S. Senate to Democratic control.
February 22, 2026: The Nevada Independent reported: Democrat James Talarico is running for the U.S. Senate in Texas, but thanks to an act of presidential bullying and corporate kowtowing, his important message echoed across the land this week. Fearing the sanction of President Donald Trump’s Federal Communications Commission (FCC) police, on Monday pigeon-hearted CBS executives killed Talarico’s interview with Stephen Colbert. The Late Show with Stephen Colbert is already scheduled to go off the air in May — purely a “financial decision,” you understand — but this wasn’t designed as a test run. It was blatant censorship. Wielding the FCC like a cudgel, the president continues to intimidate comedians and news networks. As Trump’s popularity slides and midterm elections approach, he doesn’t have to strain to see MAGA-red Texas losing steam and the Republicans’ hold on their majority in Congress slipping. And yet too often his attempts to bully the networks have worked.
March 4, 2026: Time reported: State Rep. James Talarico, the 36-year-old former middle school teacher who built a national profile by fusing progressive politics with unapologetic Christian faith, won the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate in Texas, the Associated Press called early Wednesday after Tuesday’s election, defeating U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett in one of the most closely watched and expensive primaries in the country. “Tonight, the people of our state gave this country a little bit of hope,” Talarico told a crowd of supporters just after midnight, as he held a commanding lead. “And a little bit of hope is a dangerous thing.”
March 9, 2026: GV Wire reported: These days, I’m asked more about James Talarico than I’m asked about any politician not named Donald Trump. Talarico is a 36-year-old Texas state representative and the Democratic Party’s latest and greatest hope for winning its first statewide election there in more than 30 years. He’s also one of the most faith-forward politicians in the United States. Talarico doesn’t just root his policies and ideology in his Christian beliefs, he’s a seminarian willing to dive deep into theology. When he’s arguing with the religious right about, say, Christian nationalism, he makes a specifically Christian argument to counter a poisonous Christian movement.
April 10, 2026: VNY reported: In Texas, one of the most conservative states in the United States, Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico has openly challenged Christian nationalists, accusing them of using faith for political purposes and confronting the state’s conservative evangelical wing head-on. Talarico, a state legislator and theology student, has turned his campaign into a direct counteroffensive against so-called “Christian nationalism.” He argues that Christian faith has often been exploited by conservative religious leaders to support right-wing policies– a practice he calls “fundamentally un-Christian” and “a perversion of faith.” With his message, Talarico positions himself as a Christian committed to following the Gospels, while criticizing those who use religion as a political tool to promote anti-abortion laws, weaken the separation of church and state, and place religious symbols in public schools. The rising star of the Democratic Party aims to put the values of compassion, inclusion, and aid for the poor back at the center of American politics.
April 20, 2026: The Week reported: Have the Democrats found a new saviour? Some in the party believe so, said Adam Wren in Politico. They're pinning their hopes on James Talarico, a 36-year-old Presbyterian seminarian who, following his recent primary victory, is set to contest a Senate seat in Texas in November's midterm elections. The Democrats haven't won a statewide race there since 1994, and the last time Texas elected a Democrat to the US Senate was back in 1988. But the strong performance of the “disciplined and studious” Talarico has rekindled Democrat dreams of turning Texas blue. He's a deft communicator, and his centrist, positive style seems to appeal to a wide variety of voters. In the words of the veteran political adviser Mark McKinnon, Talarico could be the “Moses who leads the Lone Star Democrats out of the desert they've been in for 35 years”. This would also give them a “wider than expected path” to flipping the Republican majority in the Senate in November.
March 24, 2026: People For The American Way reported: Last week, Christian nationalists Joshua Haymes and Brooks Potteiger urged their fellow right-wing Christians to pray "imprecatory psalms" against James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate from Texas. Talarico is a Presbyterian seminarian who has openly cited his Christian faith in support of his progressive political positions, much to the outrage right-wing Christian nationalists. Potteiger, who was the pastor at the church attended by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in Nashville, Tennessee, and will soon take over the Washington, DC church founded by Christian nationalist Doug Wilson, warned that Talarico is "a wolf" who is working to "distort what Christianity is in order to lead people away from Christ, toward the teaching of demons." |