The latest Democratic politician from Texas to excite the dominant media moguls and progressives across America recently won the nomination to face either Senator John Cornyn or the state’s Attorney-General, Ken Paxton, both of whom advanced to the Republican runoff race in May. James Talarico has been exciting the base of his party since he gained notoriety in his effort to earn the coveted place on the Texas ballot. Talarico possesses the youth, good looks, and political leanings to draw the attention of the mavens of late-night TV, the journalist elites at the New York Times, and the secularized left that likes to believe Jesus was a socialist hippie.
Talarico, a member of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas, an affiliate of the Presbyterian Church of the USA (PCUSA), a denomination committed to progressive ideals, has attended seminary, although his studies are on hold. To understand a little of what undergirds the PCUSA and St. Andrew’s, they have five core values that describe their brand of Christian practice. None of them declares anything about Christ’s claim to be the exclusive saviour of humanity. Instead, they prattle on about inclusivity, accepting people of all sexual orientations and gender expressions, promoting climate action, and eschewing absolutes. People are free to believe what they want but labelling secular humanism as Christianity equals calling a horse in a garage a car. Talarico and the Democratic establishment aim to pull off this sleight of hand on Texas voters. It may work, but Talarico’s words will speak for themselves. It leaves one to wonder how voters in Texas will feel about the prospective senator once they know him better.
Here is Talarico speaking in 2020, just ahead of George Floyd’s death: “White skin gives me and every white American immunity from the virus [of racism]. But we spread it wherever we go — through our words, our actions, and our systems. We don’t have to be showing symptoms — like a white hood or a Confederate flag — to be contagious.” This might sell in certain urban areas of Texas, and he could gain support in demographic regions that favour Democrats. The reason the last elected Democratic Senator from Texas was Lloyd Bentsen (yes, President John F. Kennedy was his friend) in 1988 is not because Democrats lack liberal talking points. But Talarico has many more observations to share, including this effort to sell Jesus’s mother Mary as an ancient-world feminist and God Himself as some kind of cosmic saboteur: “Before God comes over Mary, and we have the incarnation, God asks for Mary’s consent… So, to me, that is an affirmation in one of our most central stories: creation must be done with consent. You cannot force someone to create.” Sorry, legitimate arguments about Christian theology do not upend the miracle of the virgin birth and the sovereignty of God’s rule of the covenant of redemption to appease progressive ideology. Talarico has the freedom to spout whatever he wants about the Bible and what he believes it means, but heresies like this are unlikely to win him the votes he needs in Texas to get over the hump.
Republican tides washed his predecessors ashore, including Beto O’Rourke and Wendy Davis, for less egregious nonsense. Still, Democrats have reason to think Talarico could produce his own miracle. Recent Texas polls (Democratic sponsored) not only show Talarico competitive or ahead in a race against either Cornyn or Paxton, but they also predict long-time governor Greg Abbott in danger of turning over the state’s highest office to a Democrat for the first time since George W. Bush defeated Governor Ann Richards in 1994. The GOP, while not in full panic, recognizes the problems this could represent. If these races remain tight, money targeted for other, more competitive contests (Iowa, Maine, Ohio) could end up being used to defend the Lone Star State.
Digging into the numbers, Jim Geraghty at National Review points out that for the past 20 years, the dominant media have insisted Texas will turn blue this cycle. Cycle after cycle has come and gone, but Texas has not elected a Democrat statewide since 1994. Referring to authors John Judis and Ruy Teixeira (Emerging Democratic Majority), Party Chairmen Howard Dean and Gilberto Hinosoja, and Representative Joaquin Castro, Geraghty observes that they have all predicted Blue victories in Texas only to be disappointed on election night. Even in large states, close races remain quite spread out. O’Rourke lost to Senator Ted Cruz in 2018 by 2.5 percent. It sounds close, but 214,921 votes separated the two candidates. When O’Rourke challenged Abbott in 2022, the left expected abortion and gun control to boost voter turnout and help the Democrat get over the top. He performed better than any Democrat statewide in Texas that year, with 43.5 per cent of the vote, but this still left him unable to claim victory, request a recount, or allege voter suppression as Stacey Abrams did in Georgia. And in 2023, Colin Allred’s campaign to unseat Ted Cruz fell nearly a million votes short of the long-time senator, despite claims from The Week asking, “Is Texas about to put a Democrat in the Senate?”
James Talarico possesses the qualities necessary for success in politics. He communicates effectively, receives positive media coverage, and presents well on camera. He appeals to those who seek to unite people, reduce divisions among them, and emphasize issues that are highly valued in a secular society. Using biblical references, hijacking Christian teachings and co-opting them for a culture interested in spirituality but not religion may work. But when Texans get a full meal of Talarico and not just a taste, chances are they will take shelter in the tried-and-true brand of Texas Republicanism. Like Linus waiting for the Great Pumpkin every Hallowe’en evening, Texas Democrats await the rising of the next Democratic political star. After completing a column in NR on March 5 suggesting Talarico’s tweets disqualify him from office, Charles C. Cooke mused, “By dint of his own words, James Talarico has shown Texas who he is. Texas ought to thank him for the heads up, take note of the invaluable information, and launch him squarely into the sun.” Texans will soon weigh in.
Dave Redekop is a retired elementary resource teacher who worked part-time at the St. Catharines Courthouse as a Registrar until being appointed Executive Director at Redeemer Bible Church in October 2023. He has worked on political campaigns since high school and attended university in South Carolina for five years, earning a Master’s in American History with a specialization in Civil Rights. Dave loves reading biographies.
