Texas state Rep. James Talarico has drawn renewed attention for a series of past religious and political comments after securing the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Texas.
Talarico, a former public school teacher and current Presbyterian seminary student, defeated fellow Democrat Jasmine Crockett in Tuesday’s primary, setting up a general election contest for the seat currently held by Republican Sen. John Cornyn. As the race moves forward, critics have resurfaced several statements Talarico made over the years about Christianity, scripture, and social policy.
During a 2021 debate in the Texas Legislature over legislation restricting gender-transition procedures for minors, Talarico argued that lawmakers were misusing the Bible. In remarks delivered on the House floor, he said the opening lines of the Book of Genesis describe God using both masculine and feminine Hebrew terms in what was widely viewed as an attempt to deconstruct traditional understanding of biological sex.
“The first two lines of the Bible, the first two lines of Genesis, use two different Hebrew words to describe God,” Talarico said at the time. “God is both masculine and feminine and everything in between. God is nonbinary.”
Talarico has also discussed religion and abortion in public interviews. During a 2025 appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience with Joe Rogan, he cited the New Testament story of Mary in the Gospel of Luke as a theological argument emphasizing consent.
Referring to the biblical narrative of the Annunciation, Talarico said that the angel’s request for Mary’s acceptance demonstrated the importance of consent in acts of creation. “Creation is one of the most sacred acts that we engage in as human beings,” he said, adding that such acts “have to be done with consent.”
During the same interview, Talarico said he was open to engaging with religious arguments opposing abortion, including those from the late Pope Francis, though he has personally argued that the Bible supports “reproductive freedom.” Francis frequently condemned abortion during his papacy, describing it as a grave moral wrong and comparing it to hiring a hitman to end a life.
Talarico has also criticized certain expressions of conservative Christianity. During a January appearance on the “Politics War Room” podcast hosted by James Carville and Al Hunt, he said he had encountered people of other religions—and even nonbelievers—who he believed embodied Christian values more closely than some self-identified Christians.
“I have met so many Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jews, Muslims, atheists, agnostics who are more Christ-like than some of the Christians I serve with,” Talarico said.
In addition to his political career, Talarico has occasionally delivered sermons at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. In one sermon, he discussed reproductive health and transgender issues, arguing that transgender individuals may also need access to abortion services. In earlier remarks during a 2021 legislative hearing, he also said that gender identity extends beyond traditional male and female categories.
Republicans have seized on the comments as evidence that Talarico’s views are out of step with many Texas voters. Republican National Committee spokesman Zach Kraft criticized the candidate’s statements in remarks to reporters, calling him “a woke nutjob” and arguing that Texas voters are unlikely to elect him to the Senate.
With the Democratic primary now decided, Talarico will advance to the November general election, where he is expected to face the eventual Republican nominee following a GOP runoff between Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The race is expected to draw national attention as both parties compete for one of the country’s most closely watched Senate seats.
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