Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico faced undecided voters at a CNN town hall on Wednesday evening, fielding questions on contentious issues including Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, abortion, and foreign aid. The event came as most recent polls show Talarico with a narrow lead over Republican nominee Ken Paxton in the race to become Texas’s next US senator.
Faith and Abortion Questions
One voter, a devout small business owner, questioned the authenticity of Talarico’s faith, referencing a past remark where he described God as nonbinary. Talarico responded: “When I said that, I was being provocative and I want to admit that and come clean about that. What I was saying is actually not controversial theologically: the idea that we can’t define God using human categories. Not only did I say that, but the late Charlie Kirk said that – the late Pope Benedict said that.” He added that he was receptive to feedback from Christians.
Jodi Hunt, a self-described single-issue voter, probed Talarico’s pro-choice stance, asking: “How would you convince me as a Catholic voter that I can trust you would protect the most innocent among us?” Talarico described the Bible as being silent on abortion, to which Hunt countered quoting “Thou shalt not kill”. Talarico said: “We may have different, moral conclusions when it comes to this particular ethical question, but we actually have the same public policy goal,” framing abortion as a public health issue that could be solved with a reduction in unplanned pregnancies.
Moderate Positioning and Race Dynamics
During the night, Talarico cast himself as a moderate who would put the needs of Texans over party allegiances. He railed against the ultra-wealthy, framing them as the common enemy. Paxton declined an invitation to appear on CNN, host Erin Burnett said at the start of the town hall.
Though Democrats have not won a Senate seat in Texas since the late 1980s, they are hoping Talarico’s newcomer energy and popular appeal will persuade independents and Republicans fed up with Donald Trump’s second term – or turned off by Paxton’s many scandals.
Disinformation and Controversies
Over the weekend, Talarico became the subject of a disinformation campaign after he was absent from the campaign trail for more than a week. While his campaign repeatedly said he was sick with a bad case of the flu, conservative influencers falsely accused him of receiving medical treatment at a mental health facility in Ohio. The rumor was further propelled by Paxton and Trump, who sought to fuel skepticism about Talarico’s health and fitness for office.
Talarico denied the false allegations after returning to the campaign trail last week, noting he had never been to Ohio. “False claims got millions of views online and this is an example of what I call the ‘rage economy’,” he said during the town hall. “Billionaires who own these platforms get rich. We all get angry and nobody’s life gets any better. Conspiracy theories don’t put food on the table, put gas in the tank, or improve our communities.”
Paxton has been battling his own controversies, including leaked audio recordings from a closed-door meeting that revealed him being critical of his own party and campaign leaders in DC. He was impeached by the Texas state legislature in 2023 on allegations including bribery and abuse of public trust, though he was later acquitted. His wife of almost four decades, Angela Paxton, filed for divorce in 2025 on “biblical grounds”, citing adultery. Trump endorsed Paxton for the race, passing up incumbent Republican John Cornyn.
