James Talarico Reaches Out to Conservatives at Town Hall

Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico made a direct appeal to conservative and independent voters on Wednesday night during a televised joint town hall, positioning his campaign around populist themes while signaling a willingness to break party lines for his state. It was one of several ways Talarico looked to make appeals across the aisle on Wednesday night.

“I’m a proud Texas Democrat, but I already have a religion and I already have a sports team,” Talarico said. “So, I have no problem sharing hard truths with my party if it’s what’s best for Texas.”

The 37-year-old candidate is challenging Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in a pivotal Senate contest. Democrats require a net gain of four seats to secure the Senate majority, making a potential victory in Texas—where Democrats have not won a statewide election in 30 years—a critical target for the party. Where Democrats haven’t won statewide in three decades, he attempted to frame the election in populist terms — regular Americans against wealthy individuals and corporations, and as he campaigns for the votes of independents and moderate Republicans in Texas.

Paxton, who has declined to debate Talarico and did not respond to an invitation to host a matching town hall, was largely unmentioned until the final minutes of the event, when Talarico targeted his opponent directly. “We have an opportunity in this race not just to defeat the most corrupt politician in Texas; we have an opportunity to defeat this entire corrupt system,” Talarico argued.

Throughout the evening, Talarico drew heavily on his background as a former seminary student, referencing his “spiritual heroes” and citing the last three popes. He argued that cultural disagreements should be addressed through policy solutions rather than used as political weapons to “beat each other over the head.” Framing the country’s economic divides in stark terms, he stated, “The only minority destroying America is the billionaires.”

Addressing the topic of abortion, Talarico engaged with a voter who held strong pro-life views, noting that several of his own spiritual influences, including Pope Leo, shared her stance. “We’re both Christians, and the Bible is silent on the issue of abortion,” he said, suggesting that believers must interpret different scriptures to reach their conclusions. When the voter pointed to the Ten Commandments’ prohibition against killing, Talarico acknowledged that “it’s OK that you and I come to different conclusions.” He advocated for common ground by treating the matter as a public health issue aimed at reducing unplanned pregnancies, rather than treating it as a culture war. Emphasizing that there is common ground to be found — an effort that was on display when he was challenged by a woman who opposes abortion rights, talarico repeatedly sought to reach out to the Republican and independent voters he’ll need to win in deep-red Texas.

Talarico also distanced himself from progressive positions on key national issues. He described the national debt as “an emergency,” called for greater federal efficiency, and endorsed an “all of the above energy strategy” that supports Texas’ oil and gas sector over rapid fossil fuel phaseouts. On border policy, he identified himself as a “border security Democrat” and criticized former President Joe Biden’s border management. While firmly rejecting calls to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), stating he has never supported dismantling the agency, he criticized President Donald Trump’s mass deportation tactics, alleging ICE had been repurposed into a “secret police force.” Emphasizing his support for Texas’ oil and gas industry and declaring that he endorses an “all of the above energy strat, he broke with progressives’ calls for aggressive breaks from fossil fuels to combat climate change. “We don’t want federal agents murdering our neighbors before our very eyes,” he said. According to he called the national debt “an emergency” and, Policymakers should seek to run the federal government more efficiently.

The town hall opened with Talarico addressing his recent nine-day absence from the campaign trail, which had prompted attacks from political opponents. Clarifying that he had been recovering from a severe case of the flu while working remotely, he defended his decision to isolate to prevent spreading illness and dismissed the resulting rumors: “Conspiracy theories don’t put food on the table.” According to talarico reiterated that he had a “nasty case of the flu” and, He now feels “much better.

During the event, Talarico clarified past controversial remarks. Regarding a 2020 speech where he termed capitalism an “oppressive system,” he explained that he was advocating for “OG capitalism where we actually reward work instead of wealth.” Addressing a 2021 comment that “God is non-binary,” he acknowledged he was being intentionally provocative. Finally, he shared a personal story about his 2018 type 1 diabetes diagnosis after walking 25 miles on the campaign trail, using his experience with rising insulin costs to highlight his campaign focus on healthcare and corporate accountability.