Texas state Rep. James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, walked back some of his past comments on religion and gender after they became a central line of attack in his race against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton.
In an interview with ABC News earlier this week, Talarico described his earlier statements as “cringey” and said they were “meant to be deliberately provocative.” When pressed about a 2021 comment during a floor debate in the Texas House where he said “God is non-binary,” Talarico replied that “you can’t use human categories to define God.”
Talarico characterized Paxton’s focus on these past statements as part of a “playbook” of “distraction and division” designed to divert attention from what he calls Paxton’s career of corruption. Paxton’s first general election ad highlighted Talarico’s comments on transgender rights and immigration, ending with the tagline “Radical Talarico: too low-T for Texas,” a reference to testosterone levels used to insult men for a perceived lack of masculinity.
The religion controversy reflects a broader and unusual dynamic in the Texas Senate race. Talarico has made faith central to his campaign, emphasizing his Presbyterian seminary training and the Christian principle of loving thy neighbor. That message, rooted in progressive theology, stands in stark contrast to Paxton’s vision of conservative Christianity as a bulwark against what he calls the “radical left.”
On Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s podcast, Paxton said Talarico’s views are “antithetical to historical Christian views” and “adopted from liberal theology that do not reflect what Scripture says.” Paxton has made defense of conservative Christian values—including opposition to abortion and support for displaying the Ten Commandments in public schools—a cornerstone of his campaign.
Talarico, by contrast, has argued that displaying the Ten Commandments in schools violates religious freedom and pluralism. During a May 2023 floor speech that went viral on social media, he called the bill “idolatrous, exclusionary, and arrogant,” saying those positions “are diametrically opposed to the teachings of Jesus.” He has also stated that he supports abortion rights because he trusts women to make decisions about their own bodies, noting that “Jesus never talks about abortion.”
A recent Fox News poll found 78% of white evangelicals would choose Paxton over Talarico, though support for Paxton drops to 57% among regular worship attenders. The same poll found 51% of registered voters in Texas preferred Talarico, as did 63% of moderates.
Religion has long been a dividing line in American politics, but the Texas Senate race illustrates how candidates from opposing parties now invoke faith to appeal to voters with fundamentally different theological interpretations. According to Elesha J. Coffman, a professor of American intellectual and religious history at Baylor University, such debates over the “correct” practice of Christianity have deep historical roots. During the Civil War, Christians on both sides of the conflict disagreed over biblical interpretations, with pro-slavery factions citing specific verses while abolitionists took a broader view of Scripture and human dignity.
The November 3 general election will test whether Talarico’s progressive Christian message can overcome Paxton’s stronger appeal to white evangelical voters who have traditionally supported Republican candidates.
Sources
- ABC News — Talarico’s walkback of religion and gender comments on August 17, 2026
- Texas Tribune — Detailed comparison of Paxton and Talarico’s contrasting theological positions and campaign messages on religion
- Houston Public Media — Background on the religion controversy and both candidates’ faith-based campaign strategies
- Fox News poll — Evangelical voter preference data cited in Texas Tribune reporting
