Texas Democratic Senate Candidate James Talarico has crossed the aisle for a campaign hire, bringing on a former aide to outgoing Republican Sen. John Cornyn ahead of his November showdown with Republican Ken Paxton.  
Jacob Smith, who will serve as deputy policy director for Talarico&#8217;s campaign, is no stranger to campaigns against Paxton. Smith previously worked for Cornyn, who lost the Republican Senate primary to Paxton earlier this year. If Talarico wins in November, Smith could find himself working in the same Senate office — just under a different boss and political affiliation.
&#8220;I’ve worked for Republicans like Senator Cornyn my entire career, but this year I’m proud to be joining James Talarico’s campaign,&#8221; Smith said in a statement. &#8220;Instead of playing partisan politics, Talarico speaks to the needs of everyday people who day in and day out work too hard for too little.&#8221;
&#8220;Ken Paxton is the most corrupt, self-dealing politician in Texas who would sell their futures to the highest contributor just to hold onto power,&#8221; Smith <a href="https://www.notus.org/campaigns/james-talarico-cornyn-staffer-texas-senate">added</a>. &#8220;I&#8217;m encouraging all my fellow Republicans who know Ken Paxton is unfit to serve in the Senate to finally hold him accountable at the ballot box.&#8221;
Smith worked for Cornyn for five years, serving as a deputy legislative director and policy adviser.
Talarico’s new hire could signal an effort to broaden his appeal beyond the Democratic base as the midterm elections approach. Despite bringing a longtime Republican Senate aide onto his campaign, Talarico’s political stance differs vastly from those of both Smith&#8217;s former boss and Paxton.
 Talarico has slammed Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s border enforcement policy. 
“Regardless of your political affiliation, regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum,” he said. “Greg Abbott is hunting people for his own political gain. And that’s the most cynical thing that I’ve seen in my time in Texas politics.” 
Talarico has also taken leftist positions on transgender issues. He has opposed restrictions on transgender participation in sports and drew national attention after saying that “God is nonbinary.” 
After facing backlash from Republicans over the comment, Talarico responded by arguing that America is focused “on the wrong 1%.”
“Trans people aren’t taking away our healthcare. Undocumented people aren’t defunding our schools,” he said. “It’s the billionaires and their puppet politicians. And so we need not only the media, but all of us, to focus on the real problem at hand.”
Talarico has also proposed repealing tax breaks in President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill and redistributing the money to people who need a “cost-of-living tax cut.” His plan to fix affordability includes raising the minimum wage and canceling medical debt. 
Paxton, meanwhile, has proposed tax deductions for health care and housing, including a $25,000 deduction for out-of-pocket medical expenses, a $50,000 deduction for first-time homebuyers, and a $50,000 tax break on down payments for people moving homes.

Democratic Senate Candidate Talarico Participates In Juneteenth March

Ex-Cornyn Aide Switches Teams To Work For Talarico Campaign

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A fresh poll shows Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton narrowly leading Democrat James Talarico in the must-win Senate race, offering Republicans a much-needed boost in a contest that has increasingly given party leaders heartburn.
<a href="https://emersoncollegepolling.com/texas-2026-poll-paxton-and-talarico/">An Emerson College Polling/Nexstar Media survey</a> released Thursday shows Paxton with 47% support, narrowly ahead of Talarico at 46%. Another 5% of voters remain undecided, while 2% back another candidate.
The one-point difference falls within the poll&#8217;s three-point margin of error, making the contest effectively a dead heat. But it&#8217;s the first poll to show Paxton ahead since early June, according to <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/senate/general/2026/texas/talarico-vs-paxton">RealClearPolitics</a>, as Republicans worry that low GOP turnout and a Democratic-friendly political landscape could flip one of the reddest states in the nation — and with it, control of the U.S. Senate.
&#8220;Despite having a three-month head start and getting millions from out-of-state billionaires with deep ties to Jeffrey Epstein, James Talarico is already losing steam and falling behind,&#8221; RNC spokesman Zach Kraft told The Daily Wire. &#8220;It should come as no surprise that Texas wants a MAGA warrior like Ken Paxton over a gender-confused freak like Talarico.&#8221; 
Emerson College Polling Executive Director Spencer Kimball said the Texas Senate race is sharply divided by age, with voters under 50 favoring Talarico by 15 points, 53% to 38%, while voters over 50 back Paxton by 11 points, 53% to 42%.
Digging deeper, Paxton holds his strongest advantage among white voters and men, while Talarico leads among most black and Hispanic voters. Talarico holds just a one-point advantage among women after facing backlash over his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-book-is-gay-read-the-sexually-explicit-volumes-james-talaricos-church-gives-kids">views</a> on Christianity, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-james-talarico-says-he-loves-trans-children-in-unearthed-clip">“love” for transgender children</a>, and disdain for the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-audio-thats-blowing-a-hole-in-talaricos-christian-persona">American flag.</a> 
Top issues for Texas voters include the economy (30%), immigration (19%), threats to democracy (14%), and healthcare (13%). Republican voters rank immigration as their top issue (32%), while Democrats (33%) and independents (31%) rate the economy as their top concern.
Those issues have not stopped either campaign from diving into hot-button cultural issues as both sides wage a fierce battle for Christian voters who will likely play a pivotal role in November. <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2026/08/13/texas-ken-paxton-james-talarico-religion-campaign-christianity/">The Texas Tribune</a> reported Thursday that Paxton’s and Talarico’s differing views of Christianity have emerged as a defining issue shaping the race in a state where nearly half of voters say faith is “very important” in their lives.
A pro-Paxton super PAC <a href="https://x.com/approject/status/2085795525354234239?s=20">went viral</a> after using artificial intelligence to remake Lyndon B. Johnson’s famous “Daisy” ad, depicting a young girl being prepared to undergo a sex-change operation as an AI-generated Talarico stands at the operating table.
“She dreams of growing up, falling in love, becoming a mother,” an AI narrator says. “The trans industry preys on confused children. Irreversible puberty blockers. Cross-sex hormones. Sex-change surgeries.”
Talarico, meanwhile, is seeking to make inroads with evangelical voters — the <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/religious-landscape-study/state/texas/">largest religious group</a> in Texas — by touting his Baptist upbringing despite his support for abortion, calling God “nonbinary,” opposing the display of the Ten Commandments in public schools, and his affiliation to a progressive Presbyterian denomination.
A <a href="https://x.com/jamestalarico/status/2087706393247952952?s=20">30-second spot</a> features his grandfather: &#8220;As a Baptist preacher in South Texas, he taught me to follow the two great commandments — love God, and love your neighbor,&#8221; Talarico says, suggesting the Gospel message includes reducing the cost of healthcare, housing, and groceries. 
A recent Fox News poll found that <a href="https://x.com/JWheelertv/status/2082987392626020796?s=20">78% of white evangelical Christians</a> in the Lone Star State plan to vote against Talarico, despite concerns that Paxton’s personal scandals and marriage struggles could alienate the key demographic. 
“I truly believe that God just delivered me, not because I am a great person, because God is sovereign and he does what he wants to do,” Paxton said on Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgTrzsr0B_c">podcast</a>, referring to the unsuccessful 2023 impeachment effort against him. “I don’t take credit for it; it’s really by the grace of God.” 
The <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/senate/race/488686">Cook Political Report</a> ranks the race as Lean Republican.

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Ken Paxton Gets Some Much Needed Good News In Race Against Talarico

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While he bills himself as a “border security” Democrat, James Talarico once accused Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott of “hunting people” and committing &#8220;atrocities&#8221; for securing the border. 
Talarico leveled the allegations at Abbott during a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz_OLVKJgVo">podcast appearance</a> in July 2023 as Texas officials put up barriers to deter illegal immigrants and close down President Joe Biden’s porous border. The Texas Democrat has attempted to sweep those views under the rug and now claims he wants to implement a “common sense” plan that would hire more Border Patrol officers. 
“I think Greg Abbott&#8217;s border stunts have now become atrocities. As you mentioned, the Houston Chronicle is reporting on released internal emails that show officers being ordered to push women and children back into the Rio Grande,” Talarico said on the “Texas in Focus” <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz_OLVKJgVo">podcast</a>. “They&#8217;re reporting on razor traps that are designed to maim and drown human beings.”
He went on to level a wild accusation that Abbott was &#8220;hunting&#8221; illegal immigrants. 
“And that should trouble all of us, regardless of your political affiliation, regardless of where you fall on the political spectrum,” he said. “Greg Abbott is hunting people for his own political gain. And that&#8217;s the most cynical thing that I&#8217;ve seen in my time in Texas politics.”
The comment is the latest to resurface as Talarico attempts to rebrand himself as a moderate, as polls show a tight race with Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. From the border to transgender procedures for kids, Talarico has distanced himself from his past positions as he tries to win in red Texas outside of his home turf of deep-blue Austin. 
Talarico&#8217;s accusations refer to discredited claims from an official who alleged that Texas troopers were directed to push illegal migrants into the Rio Grande to stop them from entering Texas. The DPS Office of Inspector General investigated the allegations and found no evidence that supervisors ordered troopers to push migrants into the river.
In recent weeks, Talarico <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0srbD2hn2vM">claims</a> to have critiqued the “chaos” caused by Biden’s border policy and said he was a “border security” Democrat. That flies in the face of other comments made during the &#8220;Texas in Focus&#8221; podcast when he said he wanted the Biden administration to go after Abbott for moving to secure the border through water barriers and razor wire while hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants were released en masse into the United States. 
“I hope Joe Biden will do the right thing and act on behalf of everyone in the state and around the country who&#8217;s horrified at what they&#8217;re seeing on our southern border,” he said. “So I think Joe Biden, his administration, federal lawmakers have a moral responsibility to step in and prevent these human rights abuses that are happening in our name.”
Those comments came as nearly 100,000 illegal migrants were detained attempting to cross the southern border in June 2023. Biden&#8217;s border officials ended up cutting portions of the razor wire, and his Justice Department sued Texas over barriers placed in the water to deter illegal immigration. 
Over the years, Talarico <a href="https://x.com/jamestalarico/status/1149785576469618689">promoted</a> guidance aimed at helping illegal immigrants avoid detention, called for the southern border to have a “welcome mat” out front, and <a href="https://x.com/jamestalarico/status/2017709067469193583">accused</a> Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of “terrorizing” the United States. 
In the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0srbD2hn2vM">same podcast</a> where he pitched himself as a “border security” Democrat, Talarico said that he opposed “gender reassignment surgeries for minors.” Just three years before, Talarico voted against a bill banning transgender surgeries on kids. 
American Principles Project President Terry Schilling <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/james-talarico-wants-to-rebrand-as-a-moderate-but-we-have-the-receipts">previously told</a> The Daily Wire that Talarico was hiding his leftist beliefs to convey a more moderate image to conservative Texas voters. 
“He’s a trans Texan, and people should see right through it,” he said. “He does not have your best interest at heart.”

Texas Senate Candidate James Talarico Campaigns Along The Texas Border

Texas Dem James Talarico Said Securing Border Was An ‘Atrocity’

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A baby with a heart defect at the center of an extraordinary surrogacy dispute was born after Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton stepped in to ensure the child received life-saving medical care when his surrogate rejected demands from the biological parents to abort him.
McKenna West, a single mother of two children and an Alaska nurse, decided to become a surrogate after hearing about a friend’s positive experience, believing it would allow her to earn extra income while helping another family have a child, according to <a href="https://www.liveaction.org/news/surrogate-fights-baby-heart-condition-refusing-abortion">Live Action News.</a> In February 2025, she applied to a surrogacy agency, was approved, and was matched with a California couple she initially described as a “perfect match.”
That all changed when, at 20 weeks, Baby Gabriel was <a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-paxton-fights-save-unborn-child-diagnosed-treatable-heart-condition-and-demands">diagnosed</a> in utero with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) — a serious but treatable congenital heart condition that typically requires three staged surgeries. 
After learning of the diagnosis, his biological parents, Nausheen Gilkar and Omar Ahmed, reportedly demanded that West travel to California to abort the child, according to the <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/08/12/us-news/surrogate-mckenna-west-who-refuses-to-abort-baby-despite-its-biological-parents-wishes-scores-early-legal-victory/">New York Post.</a> 
“So we were all really upset. It was completely unexpected. Everything had been going great,” West, who became pregnant through IVF, told <a href="https://www.liveaction.org/news/surrogate-fights-baby-heart-condition-refusing-abortion">Live Action News.</a> &#8220;I was full of fear and stress of what they were going to choose. I was feeling pretty confident that they were going to choose termination, and how could I possibly live with myself going through that?&#8221;
West refused and fled to Dallas, where she sought legal protection and access to doctors experienced in treating Gabriel’s condition.
The vast majority of surrogacy contracts include provisions giving the intended parents a say in whether to terminate a pregnancy, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/02/surrogacy-contract-melissa-cook/463323">The Atlantic</a> reported. <a href="https://surrogate.com/surrogates/surrogacy-contracts/surrogacy-contracts-termination-pregnancy/">Surrogate.com</a> says surrogates cannot be forced to undergo an abortion, but refusing to comply with a contractual agreement could carry “financial and legal consequences.” 
West says having the baby could cost her $200,000 — a price she was willing to pay. 
“This is my body, and I absolutely don&#8217;t want to go through this. Nothing was scarier than questioning my own soul and knowing what would happen to this baby boy,” she told Lila Rose, president and founder of Live Action. “His life doesn&#8217;t have a price tag on it. There&#8217;s nothing that they could try to come after me for that would be worth his life.”
<a href="https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/?tab=1&amp;code=FA&amp;chapter=FA.160&amp;artSec=">Texas law</a> recognizes the woman who carries and gives birth to a child as the “gestational mother,” prompting Paxton’s office to intervene and ask the district court to enter orders directing the child’s care upon birth.
“The intended parents have refused to agree that they will consent to the life-saving surgery upon birth and may attempt to transport the child out of Texas to prevent treatment from being administered,” the attorney general’s office wrote. 
A district court <a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/sites/default/files/images/press/G%20Relief.pdf?utm_content=&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_name=&amp;utm_source=govdelivery&amp;utm_term=">granted</a> Paxton’s petition, ordering that “upon the child’s live birth, medically indicated stabilizing and life-sustaining care shall be provided to the child pending further order of this Court.” No person shall withhold, direct the withholding of, obstruct, or delay that care,” the order stated. 
Paxton’s office also notified UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children’s Medical Center of Dallas of what he described as their legal obligations to provide Gabriel with life-saving care. In a letter to the hospitals, Paxton said physicians have an independent legal duty to treat Gabriel regardless of how the parentage dispute lands in court.
“The court has made the right decision in immediately acting to protect baby Gabriel’s life and ensure he receives the care he deserves,” Paxton said. “Every child in our state deserves to be cared for and protected, and that’s exactly what I’ll fight for.” 
Lawyers for biological parents, who did not commit to providing their child with life-saving care, have not commented publicly on the surrogate’s legal victory. According to <a href="https://www.nyp.org/pediatrics/heart/hypoplastic-left-heart-syndrome-hlhs/treatment">NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital</a>, children diagnosed with HLHS who undergo treatment have roughly a 72% chance of surviving to age 5. Those who reach their first birthday have about a 90% chance of living to age 18. 
Live Action reported Wednesday that Baby Gabriel is “on the path” to receiving the life-saving care he needs, though a temporary restraining <a href="https://x.com/LilaGraceRose/status/2087604817850208749">order</a> is preventing West from seeing the baby. The next phase of the legal battle over custody will likely play out in California court, while a <a href="https://www.givesendgo.com/help-mckenna-fight-for-baby-gabriels-lif?utm_source=sharelink&amp;utm_medium=copy_link&amp;utm_campaign=help-mckenna-fight-for-baby-gabriels-lif">fundraiser</a> for West circulating online has raised tens of thousands of dollars to help cover the costs of saving the baby’s life.
&#8220;God has been so evident about it all in the ways He has connected me with people and surrounded me with people who love Him and love life and are completely willing to stand beside me as I go through this,&#8221; West told Live Action.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
UPDATE: Baby Gabriel is here!
McKenna gave birth after courageously refusing the contracting parents’ demand that she abort him because of his serious but treatable heart condition.
Heartbreakingly, a temporary restraining order issued yesterday prevented McKenna from seeing or… <a href="https://t.co/y41ZvMN3Au">pic.twitter.com/y41ZvMN3Au</a>
— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) <a href="https://x.com/LilaGraceRose/status/2087604817850208749?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

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Red State Comes To Rescue Of Surrogate Mom Facing Pressure To Kill Baby

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Leftist outlet MS NOW aired a segment featuring three Texas women who identified themselves as Republicans and vowed to cross over for James Talarico — but records show at least some of them have voted in Democratic primaries and donated to liberal candidates and causes.
Talarico, who has sparked backlash for his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-book-is-gay-read-the-sexually-explicit-volumes-james-talaricos-church-gives-kids">fringe views on Christianity</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-james-talarico-says-he-loves-trans-children-in-unearthed-clip">affection for transgender children</a>, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-audio-thats-blowing-a-hole-in-talaricos-christian-persona">disdain for the American flag</a>, is banking on Republican crossover support to become the first Texas Democrat elected statewide in decades.
“Republicans for Talarico is as real as the six genders that Talarico claims exist, but has yet to explain what they are. This lame rebrand of White Dudes for Kamala is full of lifelong Democrat donors, activists, and other losers,” RNC spokesman Zach Kraft said in a statement to The Daily Wire.
That “rebrand” was put on display earlier this month when MS NOW <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTXuIMcrG2s">aired a segment</a> from the political show &#8220;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3XT-GrW140&amp;t=1015s">Long Play</a>,&#8221; featuring three white women from Tarrant County who portrayed themselves as disgruntled conservatives eager to vote for one of the most liberal candidates in Texas to run for federal office. The exchange went viral after <a href="https://x.com/TeamTalaricoHQ/status/2084349378118943127?s=20">Talarico’s campaign</a> seized on the segment, dubbing the women “Republican Moms.&#8221;
During the segment, former school board candidate Mindy McClure described herself as a “moderate Republican,” but as the saying goes, follow the money. <a href="https://www.fec.gov/data/committee/C00931741/?cycle=2026&amp;tab=about-committee">Federal Election Commission filings</a> show McClure has repeatedly given through ActBlue to Democratic candidates and anti-Trump groups dating back to 2018, including the Lincoln Project and Kamala Harris&#8217; 2024 presidential campaign.
“You’ve been Republicans for most of your voting lives. Who’s voting for James Talarico?” asked Jennifer Palmieri, the former communications director for Hillary Clinton’s failed presidential campaign.
All three of the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3XT-GrW140">so-called Republican moms</a> raised their hands, arguing they had been duped by conservative culture-war messaging about “woke” politics in elementary schools.
Allison Stiles complained that COVID-19 had galvanized the “far right” around concerns over public school curriculum, using that apparent frustration as part of her rationale for supporting Talarico. “And I never send money to state people, but this year I did. Not only am I going to vote for you, but I’m going to give you some money!”
“It seems to be this systematic dismantling, where they want to almost, to use the phrase, burn it all down, and then rebuild it the way they want it,” Erin Montgomery said. “These are people that I may have supported, and I felt like I held a chunk of responsibility for what was happening, and now I&#8217;m going to do my damnedest to turn it around to get them out.”
Montgomery hasn&#8217;t <a href="https://x.com/CurrentRevolt/article/2085077692290937195/media/2085076944916287488">voted </a>in a Republican primary since at least 2017 and over the last 20 years has voted in more Democratic primaries than Republican primaries, according to a Republican source who has reviewed the voting records. <a href="https://x.com/CurrentRevolt/status/2084733284194365561?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2084733284194365561%7Ctwgr%5E88f64285ce5f9c9c82a94de61c205a277f64cc00%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fdallasexpress.com%2Fstate%2Fcurious-case-of-talaricos-republican-moms-voting-records-dont-match-the-script%2F">Texas reporter Tony Ortiz</a> also reviewed the records, which showed that at least two of the women participated in Democratic primaries despite identifying themselves as Republican voters during the interview.
“Ran the voting record for one of the ‘Republican’ women featured here and she’s already been voting in Democratic primaries this year,” Ortiz wrote in a post on X. “Seems disingenuous to call yourself Republican if you’ve already been voting Dem.”
In response to the discrepancies, a Talarico campaign spokesperson said the women have no official ties to the campaign, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rnc-chair-says-talaricos-gop-crossover-hopes-pipe-dream-nobody-going-follow-him">telling Fox News</a>: &#8220;Republicans in Texas are endorsing James Talarico and rejecting Ken Paxton because they know James will bring people together to lower costs while Paxton continues to enrich himself at the expense of working people.”
The strategy extends beyond the three women from Tarrant County. Talarico has also leaned into the endorsement of former Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley, a longtime Republican who has in recent years backed prominent Democrats — including Kamala Harris for president and Colin Allred over Sen. Ted Cruz in the 2024 Senate race, <a href="https://www.wfaa.com/article/news/politics/inside-politics/texas-politics/prominent-texas-republican-endorses-democrats-kamala-harris-colin-allred/287-1a3450ff-8796-49bc-9363-e8e4d726c7b8">according to local outlet WFAA</a>.
At a campaign stop in San Antonio over the weekend, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called for Republican unity heading into November, warning that the race could help determine the balance of power in Washington.
“We need to unify, because the choice — as James Talarico would say — is binary. He would say nonbinary,” Paxton <a href="https://x.com/James_Barragan/status/2086144021466935724?s=20">joked</a>. “We have a radical, socialist Democrat and a conservative Republican … we’re all coming together because we realize this is a threat not just to Texas but the entire nation.”

‘Republicans For Talarico’ Exposed As Complete Scam

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A top lawyer tied to a now-defunct transgender program for kids is hosting a high-dollar fundraiser on Saturday for Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, according to social media posts. 
The campaign event in Houston will be hosted by Afsheen Davis, senior vice president and general counsel for Texas Children’s Hospital. It comes just days after Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton <a href="https://x.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/2085120779398877586">announced</a> a final settlement with the hospital requiring it to establish what his office has described as the nation&#8217;s first-ever &#8220;detransition&#8221; clinic. 
&#8220;As an organization, we respect our team members’ rights to their own opinions and beliefs on political matters, and at the same time those pursuits are personal and do not represent the company or its position,&#8221; a hospital spokesperson told The Daily Wire. &#8220;It’s both common practice and an individual right for employees to host fundraising events in their personal capacity.&#8221;
The fundraiser, which was <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DbbZsOrG1kM/?img_index=2">advertised</a> at a Texas Trial Lawyers Association event, will also be hosted by Josh Davis, Afsheen Davis&#8217; husband. Josh Davis is a <a href="https://www.ttla.com/?pg=Leadership" target="_blank" rel="noopener">member</a> of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association executive committee and runs a personal-injury law firm. 
The Daily Wire reached out to Talarico’s campaign and Davis for more details on the fundraiser. 
Talarico and Paxton are locked in a fierce general election race for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Sen. John Cornyn, with multiple polls showing a close contest. 
<div id="attachment_1153375" style="width: 1044px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1153375" class="size-full wp-image-1153375" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-07-at-12.43.42-PM.png" alt="" width="1034" height="1007" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-07-at-12.43.42-PM.png 1034w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-07-at-12.43.42-PM-300x292.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-07-at-12.43.42-PM-591x576.png 591w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/08/Screenshot-2026-08-07-at-12.43.42-PM-768x748.png 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1034px) 100vw, 1034px" />Texas Trial Lawyers Association Instagram.</div>
The settlement requires Texas Children&#8217;s to pay $10 million — roughly $8.6 million of it to the state — to resolve claims that the hospital billed Texas Medicaid for illegal transgender procedures on kids, including by using false diagnosis codes. The hospital must also establish a “detransition” clinic by the end of October 2026. Texas Children&#8217;s has denied violating the law.
Davis and the hospital are also defendants in a separate lawsuit involving the hospital&#8217;s former gender-transition program.
Dr. Eithan Haim, who worked at Texas Children&#8217;s,<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-elon-musk-funds-suit-against-texas-childrens-for-malicious-prosecution-of-eithan-haim"> sued</a> Davis and other hospital officials, accusing the hospital of lying about ending its transgender medical program and claiming it was still performing attempted transition procedures on children as young as 11.
During the Biden administration, federal prosecutors accused Haim of improperly accessing patients&#8217; records. Haim said Davis was among those at the hospital who helped the Biden administration bring a case against him. Those charges were dropped shortly after Trump took office. 
In a lawsuit filed in January, Haim alleged that Davis and other hospital officials sought to have him &#8220;criminally charged and provided federal authorities the entire basis for the government’s investigation and subsequent indictment of Dr. Haim.”
Talarico&#8217;s past promotion of transgender ideology has been a focus of Republican attacks during the Senate race. While Talarico recently said he does not support transgender surgeries on kids, he <a href="https://journals.house.texas.gov/HJRNL/88R/PDF/88RDAY63FINAL.PDF">voted against</a> a 2023 law that protected minors from transgender surgeries and cross-sex hormone procedures.

US-NEWS-TEXASSENATE-TALARICO-CHILDCARE-3-FT

Top Lawyer Tied To Defunct Trans Program Hosting James Talarico Fundraiser

Transgender

Texas has long been one of the Republican Party&#8217;s strongest states, particularly in the Trump era. But with just three months until Election Day, the GOP is confronting an uncomfortable reality: one of its safest Senate seats is suddenly looking competitive.
Three public polls released in the last week show Democratic state Rep. James Talarico narrowly leading Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, raising concerns that a bruising Republican primary and lingering questions about Paxton’s personal controversies may have left the GOP nominee vulnerable in November.
A <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fox-news-poll-gop-divisions-shape-texas-senate-race">Fox News poll</a> released last week found Talarico leading Paxton 51% to 48% among registered voters. A <a href="https://texaspublicopinionresearch.substack.com/p/new-poll-james-talaricos-lead-over">Texas Public Opinion Research</a> (TPOR) survey of likely voters found Talarico ahead 45% to 40%, while the latest survey from the <a href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/67aa7aa3e284b002cd6a420e/t/6a713767d4ed824b91ea090d/1785804647961/Texas+Statewide+August2026.pdf">Barbara Jordan Public Policy Research and Survey Center</a> showed Talarico leading 47% to 45%.
While all three results fall within or near the polls’ margins of error, the consistency of the findings has forced Republicans to confront a difficult reality: Paxton is not beginning the general election with the overwhelming advantage traditionally enjoyed by Republican nominees in Texas.
President Donald Trump carried Texas by nearly 14 percentage points in 2024, but Paxton has struggled to replicate the strength of the broader Republican coalition, particularly among independents and some factions of the GOP electorate. The central challenge for Paxton is not simply convincing undecided voters to choose him, it is repairing the fractures created during a bitter Republican primary against longtime Sen. John Cornyn.
Paxton defeated Cornyn after receiving Trump’s endorsement, but the contest exposed a deep divide inside the Texas Republican Party. Cornyn, a longtime Senate leader with strong support among establishment Republicans and major donors, was defeated despite millions of dollars in outside spending aimed at stopping Paxton.
That division has carried into the general election. Several prominent Republican donors who supported Cornyn have been slow to fully embrace Paxton’s campaign, creating concerns among Republicans that their nominee may lack the financial resources necessary to define Talarico before Democrats can define him first. Talarico, meanwhile, has built a <a href="https://abcnews.com/Politics/democrats-dominate-fundraising-key-senate-races-republicans-ample/story?id=134829415">significant fundraising operation</a>, raising tens of millions of dollars as he attempts to become the first Democrat in more than three decades to win statewide office in Texas.
The polling suggests that Paxton’s personal image remains one of his biggest liabilities. The Fox News survey found 59% of Texas voters are concerned Paxton lacks the character necessary to serve in the Senate, compared with 47% who believe Talarico is too extreme. Even among Republicans, 36% expressed concerns about Paxton’s character. The TPOR poll found Paxton with the worst favorability rating of any major figure tested, with 33% viewing him favorably and 46% unfavorably. Talarico, meanwhile, held a net positive rating, with 43% favorable and 31% unfavorable.
The Barbara Jordan survey showed a similar dynamic, with 39% of likely voters viewing Paxton favorably compared with 57% who viewed him negatively. Talarico was more evenly rated, with 46% favorable and 47% unfavorable.
Still, Paxton’s supporters argue his personal numbers are less important than the ideological contrast between the two candidates. The Fox News poll found roughly eight in 10 supporters of both candidates said their vote was primarily about where the candidates stand on issues rather than their personal qualities.
Republicans have already begun attacking Talarico over his past statements and positions on issues including transgender policy, immigration, religion, and healthcare. 
The challenge, however, is that Talarico enters the general election with some advantages of his own. The TPOR poll found voters trusted Talarico more than Paxton on the issue dominating many voters’ concerns: affordability. 44% of respondents said the cost of living was among their top priorities heading into 2026, and voters trusted Talarico over Paxton by nine points when asked who they trusted more to lower costs and improve Texans’ financial situations.
The Democratic candidate has also performed strongly among independents. The TPOR survey found Talarico leading Paxton among independent voters 43% to 23%, while the Barbara Jordan poll showed Talarico ahead among independents 63% to 23%. The Fox News poll also found signs of an enthusiasm advantage for Democrats, with Democratic voters more likely than Republicans to describe themselves as highly motivated and highly interested in the midterms.
The demographic breakdowns have similarly raised concerns for Republicans. Texas Republicans have historically relied on overwhelming margins among rural white voters to offset Democratic strength in urban areas and minority communities. But the latest surveys suggest Paxton’s advantage among white voters is significantly smaller than recent Republican nominees.
The Barbara Jordan poll found Paxton leading among white voters by 14 points, 53% to 39%. That compares with Trump’s 33-point advantage among white voters in Texas in the 2024 election. 
The same survey found Talarico leading among Hispanic voters by 19 points, 57% to 38%, while Fox News found Talarico ahead among Hispanic voters by 18 points. The shift among Hispanic voters is particularly significant because Texas Republicans had hopes that gains could be made with the demographic after Trump won Hispanic voters in Texas narrowly in 2024.
Despite the warning signs, Republicans remain confident the race can be stabilized. Republicans have controlled every statewide office for more than three decades, and the Fox News poll found the Republican Party holding a higher favorability rating than the Democratic Party statewide.
For Republicans, the path forward is clear but difficult: unite the party, rebuild donor support, and convince voters that Talarico represents a Democratic agenda they do not want in Washington.
For Democrats, the challenge is equally clear: overcome decades of Republican dominance and prove that Texas has become competitive enough for a statewide breakthrough.
Texas is still a Republican state. But for the first time in years, Republicans are entering a Senate race there facing a question that once seemed impossible: whether their hold on the Lone Star State is beginning to weaken.

James Talarico/Ken Paxton

Senate Race In Solid Red State Remains Too Close For GOP Comfort

2026 midterm

Democratic Party

Elections

Polls

Republican Party

Senate Democrats

Senate GOP

Senate Republicans

State polls

Texas Elections

U.S.

U.S. Senate

Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico is facing a growing revolt from black activists who are threatening to tank his campaign over what they describe as his failure to engage black voters and organizations following the perceived snubbing of Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX).
The backlash has grown so intense that at least one elected Texas Democrat has already predicted Talarico will lose. 
“Do I think that Talarico&#8217;s refusal thus far to engage black electeds and the black infrastructure has put him at a disadvantage? Absolutely, because there&#8217;s not a lot of time to try to rally us,” Texas State Rep. Jolanda Jones, a Democrat, <a href="https://x.com/BreitbartNews/status/2074908934507233660?s=20">warned in a recent interview.</a> 
&#8220;Talarico needs to pay for us to get our voters out. Only then does Talarico have a chance to win,” Jones said. “If he continues to do what he has been doing, I believe Talarico is going to lose.” 
Talarico, who has sparked backlash for his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-book-is-gay-read-the-sexually-explicit-volumes-james-talaricos-church-gives-kids">fringe views on Christianity</a>, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-james-talarico-says-he-loves-trans-children-in-unearthed-clip">affection for transgender children</a>, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-audio-thats-blowing-a-hole-in-talaricos-christian-persona">disdain for the American flag</a>, is seeking to defeat Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in one of the nation&#8217;s most culturally conservative states.
To win the Senate seat, Talarico will need overwhelming support from minority voters, including higher-than-expected black turnout in the state&#8217;s urban centers. During the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/us/elections/results-texas-primary.html">contentious March primary,</a> Crockett, who is black, outperformed Talarico in many of those areas, including Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and much of East Texas.
Months later, black voters across the Lone Star State say the Senate hopeful has failed to inspire their communities. 
&#8220;Talarico is giving out money to white GOTV organizations and white infrastructure and Hispanic infrastructure, but he&#8217;s not giving it to black infrastructure,” Jones said. “We don&#8217;t want no white pollsters. They don&#8217;t know how to poll us. And for the most part, I&#8217;ve told them it takes money to get the vote out.”
&#8220;Talarico and everybody statewide in the Democratic Party has a black problem, whether they acknowledge it or not,&#8221; Jones added. &#8220;And inspiration is not going to get us to the polls.&#8221;
Those frustrations <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/james-talarico-stammers-as-black-woman-berates-him-for-not-answering-questions-at-event">boiled over</a> during a recent campaign event when Houston activist Kandice Webber called out Talarico as he prepared to leave, warning his campaign would “suffer the consequences” if he failed to answer questions from those in attendance.
“So you stay here! You answer our questions, or you suffer the consequences,” <a href="https://forgeorganizing.org/author/kandice-webber/">Webber</a> shouted.
“I’m happy to engage,” Talarico, clearly taken aback, responded.
“I did it for my people, not for you,” Webber said, prompting applause from around the room.
“And that’s wonderful,” Talarico replied. “I think that’s wonderful.”
As the crowd began to murmur, Talarico continued, “It’s all right. It’s all right, that’s what this conversation is supposed to be about.”
On the campaign trail, Talarico has attempted to stop the bleeding, <a href="https://x.com/RNCResearch/status/2079393406493630503?s=20">blasting law enforcement</a> and <a href="https://x.com/realDailyWire/status/2080025545228619991?s=20">expressing support</a> for reparations.
Those efforts have not moved the needle for Webber, who took to social media after the viral town hall outburst to attack the Senate hopeful in a profanity-laced rant. 
“But for us, real black folks, everyday black people, we&#8217;re gonna sit this sh*t out. We&#8217;re gonna undervote your *ss James Talarico,” she said in a <a href="https://x.com/suburbanwinebro/status/2079050913340072159?s=20">viral social media video.</a> 
Webber argued that electing Paxton to the U.S. Senate would ultimately be a better strategic outcome for black voters than backing another white Democratic nominee. 
“But what I will not have you do is try to instill your great white hope in my motherf*cking people and watch you let us down,” she said. “So maybe when 2028 rolls around, you will know, black Texas voters, we ain&#8217;t f*cking playing with you. Yeah, that white boy should have stayed where the f*ck he was.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
The vitriol in her voice is disturbing.
“We gon sit this shit out, we gon undervote your ass Talarico.”
And then she says it IN THE FUCKING VIDEO that she *does not care* if Ken Paxton wins this race.
This rhetoric should have NO place in our party. Get the fuck out. <a href="https://t.co/pY7I4bEpOQ">pic.twitter.com/pY7I4bEpOQ</a>
— Suburban wine bro (@suburbanwinebro) <a href="https://x.com/suburbanwinebro/status/2079050913340072159?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2026</a></blockquote>

James Talarico & Jasmine Crockett

Black Activists Threaten To Nuke James Talarico’s Senate Run

Black voters

Houston

Jasmine Crockett

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton&#8217;s Senate campaign is launching a new television ad targeting Democratic challenger James Talarico&#8217;s record, accusing the state representative of attempting to reinvent himself for a statewide audience while hiding his leftist past.
The new ad, titled &#8220;Hypocrite,&#8221; will air during the Texas Democratic Convention in Corpus Christi, where the event is scheduled to take place from June 25 through the 27. The ad focuses on what the Paxton campaign describes as a growing disconnect between Talarico&#8217;s current messaging and his legislative record.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Paxton for Senate new ad “Hypocrite”" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MtR4fLsIXP4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
&#8220;James Talarico is a hypocrite when it comes to fighting for families,&#8221; the narrator says in the ad. The commercial highlights several positions that Republicans believe could create vulnerabilities for Talarico in a statewide race, including his opposition to the Save Women&#8217;s Sports Act, criticism of the oil and gas industry, and votes against tax-cut legislation.
&#8220;Talarico wants to teach trans ideology in schools and let boys compete in girls&#8217; sports,&#8221; the ad states. &#8220;Talarico says it&#8217;s immoral to use the oil and gas that employs millions of Texans. Talarico wants higher taxes and policies that will raise prices on families.&#8221;
The ad concludes by labeling Talarico a &#8220;hypocrite&#8221; who &#8220;will do anything to push his radical agenda, even if it leaves families broke and jobless.&#8221;
The Paxton campaign says the ad is intended to push back against what it views as an effort by Talarico to moderate his image as he seeks to appeal to a broader Texas electorate. &#8220;We will not let Talarico continue to lie to Texans,&#8221; a Paxton campaign spokesman told The Daily Wire. &#8220;He can try to reinvent himself and hide behind the liberal media all he wants, but the truth remains: at every turn, Talarico has voted against Texas families to advance his radical progressive agenda.&#8221;
&#8220;He can scrub his website and try to deny it, but Texans deserve the truth, and we&#8217;re going to make sure they hear it,&#8221; the spokesperson added.
The new ad comes as Republicans continue scrutinizing Talarico&#8217;s past comments on religion, gender, and sexuality.
As previously reported by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/james-talarico-fanboys-for-trans-activist-theologian-who-pushes-bizarre-views-on-christianity?author=Drew+Berkemeyer&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=8&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=James+Talarico+Fanboys+For+Trans+Activist+Theologian+Who+Pushes+Bizarre+Views+On+Christianity">The Daily Wire</a>, Talarico openly credited activist theologian, and transgender identifying woman, Robyn Henderson-Espinoza, as a major intellectual influence during a 2021 podcast appearance, describing himself as a &#8220;fan boy&#8221; of the theologian&#8217;s work and praising the author&#8217;s writings for helping shape his worldview.
At the time, Talarico told Henderson-Espinoza that books such as &#8220;Activist Theology&#8221; had helped expand his understanding of politics and faith, arguing that his own &#8220;whiteness&#8221; and &#8220;masculinity&#8221; limited his imagination.
The relationship has drawn attention because Henderson-Espinoza is not simply a “progressive Christian” scholar, but a self-described &#8220;TransQueer Latinx&#8221; activist theologian who has argued that even “progressive Christianity” does not go far enough in challenging traditional institutions, doctrine, and social norms.
Henderson-Espinoza has advocated for what was described as &#8220;transing religion,&#8221; opposed legislation preventing biological males from competing in girls&#8217; sports, and built an activist ministry centered on political organizing, social justice activism, and liberation theology.
Meanwhile, Talarico has spent months attempting to distance himself from some of his own past remarks, recently describing several previous statements as &#8220;cringey.&#8221; Those comments included claims that &#8220;God is non-binary,&#8221; suggestions that there are six biological sexes, and arguments that the Bible does not prohibit abortion.
The Paxton campaign appears determined to ensure those issues remain front and center as the Senate race intensifies.
With Democrats hoping Talarico can make the race competitive statewide, Republicans are betting that his past statements, votes, and ideological influences will make it difficult for him to successfully reposition himself as a mainstream Texas Democrat.

EXCLUSIVE: Ken Paxton Says ‘Texans Deserve The Truth’ About ‘Hypocrite’ Talarico

Texas Democrat Senate candidate James Talarico recently suggested that the November election will not be “free and fair.” But when in a position to improve election integrity in his state, Talarico said he hated the effort with “every fiber of my being.&#8221;
As a state lawmaker, Talarico was one of the Democrats who fled the state after a Republican-backed effort in 2021 to require proof of identity when voting by mail and increasing the oversight of poll watchers. After Democrats failed to block passage of the bill, Talarico called the election safeguards “voter suppression” and said he hated the proposal.
Five years later, Talarico says he is worried that he will have to overperform to beat Republican Ken Paxton in a critical Senate race because he does not think the election will be held under &#8220;free and fair&#8221; conditions. But he has historically fought measures that would ensure secure elections.
Talarico described the 2021 Texas election integrity bill that tightened up mail-in voting as “an immoral, anti-American, anti-Democratic bill,” adding that it was “one that I hate with every fiber of my being.&#8221; He also critiqued the bills provisions on poll watchers and added that he didn’t think that poll watchers “should be in the polling place at all.”
Those comments were made in 2023 during an appearance on the &#8220;Lone Star Left&#8221; show unearthed by The Daily Wire. 
“We flew to D.C. to really beg national Democrats, including Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, and the leaders in the House and the Senate, to pass federal voting rights legislation, because that&#8217;s the only way that we were going to stop the voter suppression bill here in Texas,” Talarico said. 
After he and fellow state Democrats realized that the Senate would not void the filibuster to ram through a bill targeting state election integrity laws, they returned to Texas to weaken the proposal from Republicans. 
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Representative James Talarico Chats With Michelle About The 88th Legislature" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wdZaHmXrWE8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The <a href="https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/Text.aspx?LegSess=871&amp;Bill=SB1">law</a> opposed by Talarico created uniform statewide voting hours, added a requirement for people to provide an ID number when voting by mail, ended drive-through voting, and enhanced the jurisdiction of poll watchers. 
Now running against Paxton, Talarico said he will have to overperform to get past “voter suppression” and other “shenanigans” during the November election. 
“We already have a lot of voter suppression in Texas. It&#8217;s baked into our laws. I fought fiercely against many of those laws when they were coming through the legislature,” Talarico <a href="https://x.com/BreitbartNews/status/2058891809917468884">said</a> recently. “We&#8217;re probably gonna have to win by a little more than we would normally have to in a completely free and fair election.”
Paxton has made a key plank of his campaign support for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE) Act, which would require photo identification to vote in federal elections. He promised to drop out of the Texas GOP primary if the Senate passed the SAVE Act which did not happen before he defeated incumbent Senator John Cornyn.
Talarico, for his part, has said he opposes requiring ID to vote. 
“I oppose having to have a driver’s license to vote,” he <a href="https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1939441220021051">said</a>. “I oppose voter ID. Currently it&#8217;s the law in Texas, but I opposed that law… there are a lot of Texans, currently hundreds of thousands who don’t have a driver’s license.” 
To get a driver’s license in Texas, a person must provide documentation to complete an application form, provide proof of citizenship or legal residency, proof of Texas residency, and pass a written and driving exam.
“James Talafreako is openly admitting his only path to victory in ruby red Texas is eliminating voter ID and allowing illegal aliens to vote,” GOP spokesman Zach Kraft told The Daily Wire. “MAGA Warrior Ken Paxton will slam the door on Democrats&#8217; election fraud nonsense by getting the SAVE America Act signed into law to ensure only Americans vote in our elections.”

Talarico watch party MLC 1031.jpg

Talarico Fears Election Won’t Be ‘Free And Fair.’ Here’s How He’s Fought Election Safeguards.

When a Texas jury on Tuesday sentenced 19-year-old Karmelo Anthony to 35 years in prison for murdering 17-year-old Austin Metcalf, some Democrats in the state <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jasmine-crockett-downplays-white-teens-murder-after-karmelo-anthony-convicted?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Crockett+Claims+Karmelo+Anthony%E2%80%99s+Knife+Was+Too+Small+To+Be+Considered+Deadly">raced</a> to decry the verdict, claiming the black teenager who stabbed Metcalf at a high school soccer game was a victim of racism.
But one Texas Democrat was surprisingly absent from the chattering crowds: Senate nominee James Talarico.
Talarico’s silence comes amid the candidate&#8217;s larger rebrand. It&#8217;s a different tact than both <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/beto-says-hell-yes-were-going-take-americans-guns-james-barrett">Beto O&#8217;Rourke</a> and <a href="https://freebeacon.com/elections/texas-voters-again-reject-wendy-davis/">Wendy Davis</a> before him, who latched on to every liberal issue as they cruised to crushing defeats in statewide Texas elections. As he heads into a general election fight against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Talarico is trying to convince voters he&#8217;s a moderate — and not the radical, pro-trans, anti-border security leftist that his opponents have painted him as.
Unfortunately for Talarico, his rebranding effort might fail. Because a radical leftist is precisely what he is.
Consider Talarico&#8217;s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0srbD2hn2vM&amp;t=683s">claim</a> just this week that he does not support transgender surgeries for kids. 
“I oppose gender reassignment surgeries for minors,” he said on Monday during an interview with lawyer Dan Cogdell, who asked him if he was “too liberal” for Texas. 
That stance would surprise the Talarico of just three years ago, who <a href="https://journals.house.texas.gov/HJRNL/88R/PDF/88RDAY63FINAL.PDF">voted</a> against a bill to ban transgender surgeries in Texas. The bill banned procedures like removing the breasts of girls who identify as boys.
&nbsp;
“What he&#8217;s doing right now with this change in his public position is he is telling the world that these surgeries are incredibly unpopular,” American Principles Project President Terry Schilling told The Daily Wire. “James Tallarico is one of the most progressive Democrats we have ever seen.”
The record from Talarico’s time in the legislature shows that during <a href="https://house.texas.gov/videos/11109">debate</a> on the measure protecting kids in the Texas state House, he claimed the proposal was about discrimination. 
“I think it&#8217;s clear that this is not about science or medicine, and certainly not about keeping kids safe,” he said on May 12, 2023. “I think this is about discriminating against people who are transgender.”
<div id="attachment_1113663" style="width: 1870px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1113663" class="size-full wp-image-1113663" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-10-at-11.58.07-AM.png" alt="" width="1860" height="924" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-10-at-11.58.07-AM.png 1860w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-10-at-11.58.07-AM-300x149.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-10-at-11.58.07-AM-1024x509.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-10-at-11.58.07-AM-768x382.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/06/Screenshot-2026-06-10-at-11.58.07-AM-1536x763.png 1536w" sizes=" (max-width: 1860px) 100vw, 1860px" />Talarico attacks bill to protect kids from transgender procedures.</div>
At one point during that debate, Talarico pushed for Republican Rep. Tom Oliverson, who sponsored the legislation, to add an amendment to his proposal that would allow kids to get transgender procedures if two or three doctors signed off on the proposal. Talarico also <a href="https://journals.house.texas.gov/HJRNL/88R/PDF/88RDAY63FINAL.PDF">attempted</a> to add a provision to the bill that would “sunset” protections for children if “high-quality, long-term studies” could purport that transgender procedures were safe for kids. 
Talarico’s campaign now <a href="https://www.statesman.com/news/politics/state/article/ken-paxton-accuses-james-talarico-flip-flopping-22296649.php">claims</a> the candidate only opposed that bill because it “stripped critical healthcare away from Texas children suffering from rare genetic diseases that have nothing to do with being transgender.&#8221;
But in August 2023 — just months after voting against the bill — Talarico <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-james-talarico-says-he-loves-trans-children-in-unearthed-clip">said</a> on a podcast that the thing he loved most in the world apart from family or friends was “trans children.”
“I love, I’m just saying this because it’s all on my mind, the trans children who showed up yesterday at the state capitol to advocate for their humanity,&#8221; Talarico said in the footage, first unearthed by The Daily Wire. &#8220;They shouldn’t have to, but it was an inspiration to watch,” he said on the “A Superbloom” podcast.
Paxton, who helped negotiate a settlement with Texas Children’s Hospital to create the first ever &#8220;detransition&#8221; clinic, quickly attacked Talarico’s pivot on the issue. 
“In an attempt to make himself appear like less of a radical freak James Talarico is trying to walk back his position on child mutilation,” Paxton <a href="https://x.com/KenPaxtonTX/status/2064088208984686845">said</a> on Monday. “Texans remember.”
Political commentators have noted that Talarico’s rhetoric on the issue showed just how unpopular transgender procedures are with most Americans and how the electorate has shifted in recent years. 
Schilling, whose organization released ads targeting swing state voters on the issue of transgenderism during the 2024 election, said that the data showed most voters don&#8217;t support gender surgeries for kids. Even the Democrat Party&#8217;s own autopsy of the 2024 election acknowledged that President Donald Trump’s attack on Kamala Harris on the issue was effective. 
“For him to admit that this is a political vulnerability, should send a warning sign to every single Democrat that&#8217;s running in a competitive race this year,” Schilling said of Talarico. “He&#8217;s trying to win over these people in the middle and these Republicans, but I don&#8217;t think anyone&#8217;s going to buy it. He&#8217;s just been too much of a radical during his time in the Texas legislature.”
Schilling noted that Talarico’s comment left the door open for support for puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones, both of which can have permanent impacts on bone density, heart health, and fertility. 
Neeraja Deshpande, a commentator with the Independent Women’s Forum, told The Daily Wire that Talarico’s rhetorical shift reflected a broader cultural shift against transgender procedures for kids, which was in part triggered by detransitioners speaking out against the harmful procedures done on them as children. 
“I think it&#8217;s a permanent change on this issue,” she told The Daily Wire. “I think it was a blip that was, you know, predicated on emotional manipulation, and political manipulation, and a media environment that had really tight control.”
Deshpande noted that both the American Medical Association and American Society of Plastic Surgeons have publicly backed away from support for transgender procedures for kids. She added that Talarico’s shift was likely a cynical political move, but that it was good that support for transgender surgeries was now seen as a political liability. 
“I think there&#8217;s also just fewer Democrats willing to go to bat for all the like trans kids bulls***,” she said. “I think they recognize that it&#8217;s bulls**t.” 
Talarico is also attempting a moderate pivot on illegal immigration.
“I’m a border security Democrat,&#8221; Talarico said Monday. &#8220;I believe we&#8217;ve got to have a sane, orderly process to ensure that we know who&#8217;s coming into our country,” he said. “And I&#8217;m all for welcoming immigrants who want to work hard and live the American dream, who want to make us richer and stronger as immigrants have always done. But I also think we have to keep out folks who mean to do us harm. And public safety is the most important thing the government does.”
That&#8217;s a far cry from the Democrat&#8217;s previous <a href="https://x.com/RNCResearch/status/2015169671838695883?s=20&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=ncl_amplify&amp;utm_campaign=260609-james_talarico_fails_to_walk_back_his_far_left_record&amp;utm_content=ncl-fqjYFgn77p&amp;utm_term=&amp;_nlid=fqjYFgn77p&amp;_nhids=nclPXUQdWcLdpls">argument</a> for placing a “giant welcome mat” at the southern border and his <a href="https://x.com/jamestalarico/status/1149785576469618689">protesting</a> of immigration enforcement raids by the Trump administration. Just recently, Talarico told a group of religious leaders that there should be no mass deportations. 
“We have to ban ICE agents from wearing masks, from kidnapping people off our streets without a warrant,” he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/at-james-talaricos-church-its-offensive-to-respect-gods-pronouns-but-abortions-ok">said</a>. “We have to require them to identify themselves like any law enforcement official. And we have to end this policy of mass deportations that again is terrorizing our communities across Texas and across this country.”
Andrew Arthur, a resident in legal policy and law at the Center for Immigration Studies, told The Daily Wire there was a major disconnect between Talarico’s purported support for border security and his anti-ICE advocacy. 
“Border security is not sustainable without deportations,” he said. “Because there are no consequences for entering the United States illegally, people will continue to do it.”
Arthur noted that the Biden administration’s policies that resulted in the release of some 8 million illegal immigrants into the United States led to a major backlash against open border policies. He said the catch-and-release policies put in place by Biden had a huge negative impact on Democrats during the 2024 election. He <a href="https://cis.org/Arthur/Latest-HarvardHarris-Poll-Shows-Increasing-Support-Mass-Deportations">noted</a> that a recent Harvard/Harris poll found that a majority of Americans still say they support deporting all illegal immigrants and that Democrats are increasingly weary of open borders rhetoric. 
“It makes sense that Democrats like Mr. Talarico are now distancing themselves from the Biden administration&#8217;s policies, which were very unpopular nationwide,” he told The Daily Wire. “So James Talarico is simply singing from the same playbook that most congressional Democrats ended singing from ever since Trump&#8217;s election in 2024.”
Arthur noted that the impacts of Biden’s illegal immigrant surge were still being felt in border communities in Texas while the border had turned into a non-issue for much of the country because of Trump’s successful efforts to secure the border. 
Talarico’s political rebrand includes claiming to support the oil and gas industry and the Second Amendment despite his previous climate activism and gun control advocacy. But his pivot is not contained to political issues. It appears to be changing how he characterizes his religious beliefs as well. 
While his pastor and mentor Jim Rigby denies the historical resurrection of Jesus Christ and promotes using so-called inclusive language for God, Talarico <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/at-james-talaricos-church-its-offensive-to-respect-gods-pronouns-but-abortions-ok">recently</a> claimed to believe differently in an interview with the New York Times. 
Schilling said Talarico was attempting to mask his true beliefs in his efforts to turn Texas blue. 
“He&#8217;s a trans Texan, and people should see right through it,” he said. “ He does not have your best interest in heart.”

Democratic Senate Candidate James Talarico Holds Rally Day After GOP Primary

James Talarico Wants To Rebrand As A Moderate. But We Have The Receipts.

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transgender surgery

U.S. Politics

For many self-described religious Democrats, squaring their support for abortion and radical gender ideology with their faith is a challenge. But at Texas Democrat James Talarico&#8217;s church, supporting abortions is part of the congregation&#8217;s &#8220;goals for the world.&#8221;
At the Texas church where the Democrat senate hopeful preaches sermons on the need for abortion in the “trans community,” church funds are sent not only to abortion giant Planned Parenthood, but also to radical organizations that pay to help facilitate out-of-state travel for women to kill their unborn babies, and an organization that runs a summer camp for transgender-identifying kids as young as 11. 
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, the woke Austin church attended by Talarico, <a href="https://www.staopen.org/benevolences">lists</a> Planned Parenthood, which ends the lives of hundreds of thousands of unborn babies every year, as one of the organizations that shares its “vision and goals for the world.”
The church, which The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/this-book-is-gay-read-the-sexually-explicit-volumes-james-talaricos-church-gives-kids?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=8&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=‘God+Is+Queer’%3A+See+The+Sexually+Explicit+Books+James+Talarico’s+Church+Gives+Kids">reported</a> last week stocks sexually explicit books aimed at young people in its library, sets aside money every year for Planned Parenthood, according to its website. It also describes itself as a “Reproductive Freedom Congregation,” <a href="https://justtx.org/rfc/">meaning</a> it believes that “abortion is a blessing.&#8221;
Donating to Planned Parenthood is not the only way that St. Andrew&#8217;s promotes abortion. 
Through its Social Justice Committee, the church <a href="https://www.staopen.org/social-justice">backs</a> a project called “Field of Hope.” The project was created as a memorial for the AIDs epidemic, but now <a href="https://fieldofhopeaustin.org/gender-reproductive-justice.html">promotes</a> a variety of other activist organizations. One such organization is the Lilith Fund, which <a href="https://www.lilithfund.org/get-help/">provides</a> money for Texans to travel out of state to kill their unborn babies. 
It also promotes a <a href="https://janesdueprocess.org/about/">similar organization</a> called Jane’s Due Process, which says it provides “abortion and practical support funding for young people under 18 traveling out of Texas for abortion care.” This means it openly funds teenagers looking to leave Texas for abortions. 
The church&#8217;s position on abortion is in line with Talarico’s own <a href="https://jamestalarico.com/issue/health-care/">suppor</a>t for codifying Roe v. Wade into federal law to create a so-called right to an abortion. Talarico grounds his support for abortion in the biblical account of an angel visiting the Virgin Mary and telling her that she would miraculously conceive and give birth to Jesus Christ. 
&#8220;I say all this in the context of abortion, because before God comes over Mary, and we have the incarnation, God asks for Mary’s consent,” he said during an appearance on the Joe Rogan podcast. “You cannot force someone to create… so that’s how I come down on that side of the issue.”
Talarico’s opponent, Paxton, has gone after leftist activists that ship abortion pills into Texas during his time as attorney general. Much of his attacks on Talarico have focused in on the Democrat’s leftist statements on religion, abortion, and transgenderism.
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The radical pro-abortion groups are just a sliver of the liberal causes supported by the church. Other organizations St. Andrew’s lists on its donation page included Out Youth Austin, the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, Evergreen Action, and the Carbon180. 
Out Youth Austin <a href="https://www.outyouth.org/about/mission">describes</a> itself as a group that provides “a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth to come together, receive support, and make friends who understand who they are.” One of the programs it offers is a summer camp for kids between the ages of 11-17 who identify as gay or transgender. 
The organization says that recent actions in Texas have “caused distress” for “trans and non-binary youth” and points to a number of radical groups that support transgender procedures on kids. For people 18 and older, Out Youth Austin will help them <a href="https://www.outyouth.org/resources/social-services">obtain</a> the “necessary letters” for “this important step in your transition.”
The U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights is an anti-Israel organization that says it is <a href="https://uscpr.org/about-us/#team">focused</a> on “collective liberation” opposed to “all forms of bigotry” which it defines as “Zionism, racism, Islamophobia, antisemitism, sexism, queerphobia, transphobia, classism, and ableism.”
Evergreen Action is <a href="https://www.evergreenaction.com/about/">focused</a> on the fight to “defeat climate change” founded by staffers who used to work for Washington Democrat Governor Jay Inslee. Carbon180 <a href="https://carbon180.org/our-approach/">wants</a> to “bring carbon removal solutions to gigaton scale” by shaping federal policy.
The latest <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/senate/general/2026/texas/talarico-vs-paxton">polling</a> between Talarico and Paxton has the race virtually tied. Democrats haven&#8217;t won a U.S. Senate seat in Texas since 1988.

The Vox Media Podcast Stage At SXSW – Day 2

Abortions, Trans Summer Camps… See What Else James Talarico’s Church Bankrolls

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