I want to believe in James Talarico, but I'm so, so cynical.

[Wiz Imp]

51. Sheesh. It takes like 5 seconds to google his background/positions/accomplishments.

He would immediately be one of the most progressive members of the Senate if elected.

Opposition to Christian nationalism
Talarico is an outspoken critic of Christian nationalism, calling it "a cancer on our religion", and has often said "there's nothing Christian about Christian nationalism". He has cited his faith and the teachings of Jesus, especially the commandment to love God and one's neighbor, as the reason for launching his political career. He has called politics "another word for how we treat our neighbors".

Talarico has called Christian nationalism "the worship of power—social power, economic power, political power, in the name of Christ" and has said Christian nationalists have turned Jesus "into a gun-toting, gay-bashing, science-denying, money-loving, fear-mongering fascist", arguing that it is "incumbent on all Christians to confront it and denounce it" in a 2023 guest sermon that has more than a million views on YouTube.

Cannabis
Talarico has advocated for the legalization, regulation, and taxation of cannabis and THC products. In March 2021, Talarico introduced House Bill 4089 to legalize adult cannabis use and provide for the expungement of past convictions. During the 2025 legislative session, he opposed Senate Bill 3, which sought to ban most hemp-derived THC products. Talarico argued that the ban would undermine the state industry and shift consumers toward unregulated markets.

Congressional reform
Talarico has advocated for imposing term limits for members of Congress, banning congressional stock trading, and banning partisan gerrymandering.
Talarico supports the elimination of the filibuster in the United States Senate.

Healthcare
Talarico supports healthcare reform and universal healthcare as a human right. He supports making buy-in Medicare or a public health insurance option available to every American, calling his healthcare plan "Medicare for Y'all".

Immigration
Talarico believes that immigration policy in the United States should be to "treat our southern border like our front porch. We should have a giant welcome mat out front, and we should have the lock on the door."

Israel and Palestine
Talarico supports a two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. He has condemned what he called Israel's "atrocities in Palestine" and "war crimes" and has criticized its role in the Gaza Strip famine. He opposes offensive U.S. aid to Israel and supports banning the sale of offensive weapons to Israel. Talarico is a critic of the pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC. He criticized Democrats for supporting Israel's war in Gaza during the 2024 presidential election. He called the war "the moral test of our time".

LGBTQ+ rights
Talarico supports LGBTQ rights and access to gender-affirming care for minors.

Supreme Court
Talarico supports Supreme Court reform, saying he is open to increasing the number of justices on the court. He also wants term limits and an enforceable code of ethics for the justices.

Talarico launched his campaign for the Texas House shortly after incumbent state legislator Larry Gonzales chose not to run for reelection. At age 28, Talarico won both the special and general elections against Republican nominee Cynthia Flores, garnering media attention for walking the full length of the district.

In the 86th Texas Legislature, Talarico filed the Whole Student Agenda, a legislative package with bills addressing public education policy. Two bills from this list were passed by the legislature: HB 3012, which required students who were suspended from school have an alternative means of receiving coursework, and HB 455, which would standardize a model recess policy. Governor Abbott vetoed HB 455.

During the 87th legislative session, Talarico filed HB 54, also known as Javier Ambler's Law, and the legislature passed it. It prohibits state law enforcement agencies, except game wardens, from entering into contracts with reality TV shows that film them in the line of duty. This was in response to the role Live PD is alleged to have played in the killing of Javier Ambler by Williamson County, Texas police. Talarico had previously criticized Sheriff Robert Chody's handling of the incident, calling for his resignation.

Talarico was the primary author of HB 30, which provided a path for minors in the criminal justice system who have been adjudicated as adults or who are eligible under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to earn a high school diploma instead of pursuing a high school equivalency.

Talarico was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes during a five-day stint in the ICU after a 2018 campaign event where he walked 25 miles (40 km) across his district. After his diagnosis, he paid $684 for his first 30-day supply of insulin. Talarico later helped pass House Bill 82, capping insulin costs at $25 per month.

In the summer of 2021, Democrats in the Texas House of Representatives, including Talarico, organized a quorum-break in an attempt to stop the passage of legislation they saw as restricting voting rights. They flew to Washington, D.C., to lobby the Senate to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act and the For the People Act, which would have superseded parts of the state legislation.

At the end of the legislative session, Texas Monthly magazine named Talarico one of the Top 10 Best Legislators.

During the 88th legislative session, Talarico was the primary author of House Bill 25, which would create the Texas Wholesale Prescription Drug Importation Program and allow Texas to import lower-cost Canadian medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Talarico was an outspoken critic of legislation that would have required the display of the Ten Commandments in all elementary and secondary classrooms, on the constitutional grounds of separation of church and state. He called the measure "un-American" and "un-Christian". The bill was not signed into law.

In 2025, Talarico continued to be a major voice in opposition to placing the Ten Commandments in Texas public schools. The specific legislation, SB 10, required every classroom to visibly display a poster containing the Ten Commandments, sized at least 16 by 20 inches. When the bill was first brought to the floor of the Texas House, Talarico called a point of order that delayed its passage. The bill ultimately passed the legislature, but videos of his remarks against it went viral and led to an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience.

During the legislative debate over private school vouchers, Talarico, who opposed the legislation, attempted to amend the bill to have a statewide referendum determine whether the program would go into effect. The legislation passed and was signed into law without the amendment.

In August 2025, Talarico was one of 51 Democratic Texas House members who broke quorum to delay the passage of mid-decade new congressional maps. While he was absent from the state, Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit to expel Talarico and 12 other representatives from the House by declaring their seats vacant. Talarico and the others named in the suit returned to the state before the Texas Supreme Court ruled in the case.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Talarico