James Talarico said Wednesday on Fox News that he now opposes transgender student-athletes competing in girls’ sports “if it risks safety or fairness,” marking a shift in public comments by the Texas Democrat and U.S. Senate nominee.
In the interview, Talarico said, “Every sport has to be safe and fair,” and framed his concern through his experience as a former public school teacher, a line reported by The Texas Tribune summarizing his Fox News remarks.
As a state representative, Talarico voted against Republican bills that would have barred trans student-athletes from playing on teams that align with their gender identity, saying those measures were “overly broad,” according to The Texas Tribune. His campaign also previously told Spectrum News that he opposes trans athletes in girls’ sports when it jeopardizes safety or fairness.
Republicans seized on Talarico’s earlier record in attack ads and on social media as they try to cast him as too liberal for Texas voters, the Tribune reported, and Ken Paxton posted a direct response on X criticizing what he called Talarico’s “flip-flops.” Fox News and other conservative outlets amplified the newest interview.
Talarico told the Fox host he opposed the earlier bills because they were too broad and that he had supported amendments to narrow eligibility decisions to local school boards or to specific sports — positions the Tribune traced to his past legislative votes and public statements.
Equality Texas criticized the change, with CEO Brad Pritchett saying his organization “expect[s] better” and urging that fairness in school sports include trans kids, the Tribune reported. Talarico’s campaign has repeatedly said he opposes discrimination while also prioritizing student safety, according to a campaign spokesperson quoted by Spectrum News.
Political context matters: the issue has been a frequent GOP attack line in the tight Texas Senate race, and the Tribune noted the Fox News appearance came as Republicans gathered in Dallas for a midterm convention where the subject is a focus for conservative voters.
Talarico has acknowledged past comments he called “cringey” and said some statements “missed the mark,” remarks the Tribune and Fox News both reported when describing his efforts to limit fallout from resurfaced clips and ads.
Sources
- The Texas Tribune — reported Talarico’s Fox News remarks, his past votes against GOP restrictions, campaign statements, and the Equality Texas response.
- Fox News — published a report and video of the interview and noted the campaign context for Talarico’s comments.
- Spectrum News — provided the campaign spokesperson’s written statement saying Talarico opposes trans athletes when safety or fairness is jeopardized.
