State Rep. James Talarico pulled off a surprising upset by defeating U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett in Texas’s Democratic primary for U.S. Senate on March 3, 2026, branding himself as a faith-centered, compassionate candidate with broad appeal.

He now heads to November’s general election against the winner of the May 26 Republican runoff between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton—yet one has to ask: does Talarico’s progressive interpretation of Christianity truly align with orthodox biblical teachings and historic Christian doctrine, or is it merely left-wing politics dressed in religious language?

Legacy media quickly celebrated: The New York Times declared it proof that “nice guys can finish first,” The Wall Street Journal called him a “36-Year-Old Bible Scholar Trying To Flip A Texas Senate Seat Blue,” and Vox suggested he could “reclaim Christianity from the right.”

Talarico, a former teacher, is studying to become a minister at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, part of the socially and theologically left-leaning Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).

His claims of moderation on Christian issues often depart sharply from traditional scripture and doctrine, with emerging prior statements casting his candidacy in a far more radical light, as The Dallas Express previously covered.

Claim: Gay Marriage And Abortion ‘Aren’t Mentioned In The Bible’

Talarico claimed in his appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” that the Bible never addresses abortion or same-sex marriage.

“The religious right… they convinced a lot of our fellow Christians that the most important issues were abortion and gay marriage,” Talarico said. “Two issues that aren’t mentioned in the Bible, two issues that Jesus never talked about.”

The Bible, however, directly addresses these topics in the context of the need for salvation from sin and of God’s work in creation.

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God,” reads 1 Corinthians 6:9 (ESV).

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well,” reads Psalm 139:13-14 (ESV).

Claim: ‘God Is Nonbinary’

“God is both masculine and feminine, and everything in between. God is nonbinary,” Talarico said in a 2021 speech on the Texas House of Representatives floor, as The Dallas Express reported. 

 

Christian theology holds that God is spirit and not biologically male or female, as stated in John 4:24. Historic Christianity does not apply modern categories like “nonbinary.” The Gospel Coalition also described the Christian view of men and women as “not a matter of one’s own autonomous preferences.”

“So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them,” Genesis 1:27 reads. 

Claim: ‘Our Trans Community Needs Abortion Care Too’

Talarico has also denounced the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

“This summer, more than half our population became second-class citizens. Everyone of our neighbors with a uterus became the property of the state,” he said. “Nothing, nothing is more un-Christian than that.”

Standing in front of an altar, Talarico continued to support abortions for “transgender” people. 

“Our trans community needs abortion care too. Defending trans Texans is something that we have to do every day at the State Capitol, and you better believe I’ll be giving sermons on that too,” he said. “When I use the word ‘woman’ it should not be understood as an exhaustive term, but rather as a lens through which to understand, examine, and interrogate patriarchy.”

 

Lila Rose, founder and president of the pro-life nonprofit Live Action, denounced Talarico’s remarks. She is a public member of the Catholic Church, which condemns abortion as a matter of doctrine. Other Christians, including Orthodox and many Protestants, hold a similar stance.

“This is blasphemous,” Rose said. “Texas Democratic state Rep. James Talarico advocates for trans people to abort their babies while preaching at a church.”

In 2013, Talarico publicly recalled “memories of being the only teenage boy at Planned Parenthood’s March for Women’s Lives in 2004.” After the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, he called on then-President Joe Biden to perform abortions in federal buildings.

“James Talarico thinks women should get abortions at your local passport office,” said U.S. Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Flower Mound, after the recent primaries. “Did anybody vet this guy?”

Talarico Denies “Radical Leftist” Label – But His Own Words Tell a Different Story

In one viral clip,  Talarico suggested he was not a “radical leftist.”

“They’re going to throw everything they have at us,” he said. “They’re going to call me a radical leftist.”

 

The clip went on to show Talarico’s previous remarks:

  • “Our trans community needs abortion care too” 
  • “God is nonbinary” 
  • “Modern science obviously recognizes that there are many more than two biological sexes; in fact, there are six.”
  • “Prison is violence… It’s hard to imagine a world without prisons… Just because it’s hard to imagine doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t.” 

Viral Responses on X… Too Many to List

Politicians, pastors, and commentators on X have strongly criticized Talarico, often portraying his views on Christianity, gender, abortion, or politics as radical, heretical, false teaching, or out of line with traditional biblical doctrine. 

  • Pastor Jeff Wiesner: Labeled Talarico a “Scripture-twisting, authority-of-God-denying false teacher who presumes to speak the word of God with the authority of God while calling evil ‘good’ and good ‘evil’ in the name of Christ.”
  • Pastor Lance Shumake: Described Talarico as a “false teacher” and “100% wolf in sheep’s clothing,” warning people to know their Bible because “he doesn’t.”
  • Matt Walsh: “It’s tough because I really want to gloat over Jasmine Crockett’s loss but the guy who beat her is somehow 100 times worse in every way. Just an absolute depraved evil freak. At least Jasmine was kind of funny because she’s so dumb.”
  • Gov. Greg Abbott: “This is Tim Walz clone territory.”
  • Attorney General Ken Paxton: “UNREAL – The Democrats have never been more destructive or unhinged. After the runoff, my Democrat opponent will be James Talarico. He wants to abolish ICE. He wants men to play in girl’s sports and to let men undress in the girl’s bathroom. It sounds too crazy to be true, and that’s the problem…“
  • Todd Starnes: “James Talarico is more Al Sharpton than he is Billy Graham … .No doubt he has the oratory skills of Obama and Pete Buttigieg, but he also has their heathen politics – a man who literally argues the Bible is pro-abortion.”
  • Stephen Miller: “Which of the six genders is Talarico?”
  • Brian Harrison: “Don’t let Talarico’s ‘seminary student’ persona fool you… he’s more liberal than Bernie Sanders, weirder than Tim Walz, and more radical than Jasmine Crockett.”
  • Libs of TikTok: “James Talarico hates White people.”
  • Tom Cotton: “Talarico makes Kamala Harris look like a conservative.”