Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico had some explaining to do Wednesday night, facing questions about bizarre rumors surrounding his nine-day break from in-person campaigning and acknowledging that his description of God as “non-binary” was meant to stir a reaction.
With the November midterms approaching, Talarico (D-TX) used a nationally televised CNN town hall to defend his religious remarks, account for his absence and challenge positions held by both political parties.
Christian small-business owner Sarah Gardner questioned whether modern cultural language belonged in discussions about God, putting Talarico on the spot over a remark he had made years earlier.
“I think we have to be careful using modern cultural terms when talking about God,” Gardner cautioned.
The question took Talarico back to the Texas House floor in 2021, where he had described God as “non-binary” during a legislative debate.
“When I said that I was being provocative,” Talarico acknowledged. “And I want to admit that and come clean about that.”
He defended the substance of his remarks, however, explaining that human definitions fall short when applied to God. Talarico also pointed to the late Charlie Kirk and Pope Benedict, whom he credited with expressing similar ideas.
“And so yes, maybe I was doing that in an annoying way, I can admit that,” Talarico conceded.
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Talarico’s interest in preaching extends beyond his political career. The Texas state representative attends seminary and hopes to become a minister, and he compared his controversial wording to the unexpected statements sometimes used to capture a congregation’s attention.
He accepted Gardner’s objection as “very fair criticism,” acknowledging that attracting attention with unexpected wording carries responsibilities he is still learning to navigate.
“And that’s something I’m still learning how to do in a responsible way. And so I’m always going to take feedback from my fellow Christians,” he explained.
Gardner’s participation reflected CNN’s decision to let voters with opposing positions question Talarico directly instead of leaving every challenge to moderator Erin Burnett.
Burnett had her own questions about the Democrat’s health after his absence from public appearances generated claims that he had quit the Senate contest, entered psychiatric treatment or died.
The candidate attributed the interruption to influenza, which he said had kept him away from crowds for nine days.
“I’m doing much better. I got a nasty case of the flu. I guess I’ve been shaking too many hands on the campaign trail, but I’m feeling much better and so excited to be here,” Talarico responded.
He defended staying away from supporters rather than risking passing along the illness, rejecting the suggestion that he should have handled his recovery differently.
His illness had not prevented him from speaking to voters altogether. While recovering at home in Austin, Talarico joined a U.S. Hispanic Business Council discussion by video on September 30 rather than appearing before the group in person.
His absence nonetheless became campaign ammunition for Republican opponent Ken Paxton (R-TX), who used the interruption in advertising as questions about Talarico’s whereabouts spread.
President Donald Trump also joined the speculation, demanding answers through Truth Social last Wednesday.
“No one has seen him for an extended period of time,” Trump wrote. “Where is he? What is wrong with him? Bad rumors are coming out.”
Trump urged Talarico to face Paxton on a debate stage and praised the Texas attorney general, expressing hope that he would ultimately represent the state in the Senate.
Both candidates had opportunities to face each other before Election Day. Talarico proposed a Fox News debate during the previous month’s Texas Tribune Festival, while CNN separately invited Paxton to Wednesday’s town hall, as Burnett confirmed during the broadcast.
One particularly disturbing allegation placed Talarico at an Ohio psychiatric facility. The Lindner Center of HOPE publicly denied the story, which had circulated alongside claims that the Democrat had abandoned his candidacy or died.
Talarico described what he encountered when he checked social media after spending time away from the campaign.
“I opened up social media and learned that I had apparently dropped out of the race, had flown to a mental hospital in Ohio. That I had died,” he recalled. “This is crazy. These false claims got millions of views online.”
He faulted the online business model that rewards attention-grabbing accusations, arguing that the resulting anger benefits platform owners rather than the people consuming the material.
“Conspiracy theorists can post anything they want on the internet. They get clicks. The billionaires who own the platforms get rich. We all get angry and nobody’s life gets any better,” he complained.
With less than three weeks before voters headed to the polls, Talarico also used the Fort Worth appearance to distance himself from fellow Democrats on immigration while criticizing Trump’s enforcement tactics.
Former President Joe Biden’s handling of border security drew particular criticism from the candidate, who argued that neither party had delivered a satisfactory approach.
“Both political parties have failed us on this issue,” Talarico declared. “Joe Biden failed us during his administration by not securing the border.”
Talarico embraced the description “border security Democrat” and opposed eliminating Immigration and Customs Enforcement. His objections concerned how the agency was operating under Trump, particularly its treatment of families instead of concentrating on cartels and dangerous gang members.
“We need Immigration and Customs Enforcement in this country, but that’s not what we’re seeing,” he argued. “What we’ve seen over the last year is a secret police force, and that’s what we don’t want in this country.”
The candidate also called for comprehensive immigration reform and pledged to pursue justice for people affected by federal enforcement actions. Among those he identified was Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, whose death in a July shooting involving an ICE officer in Houston informed his criticism.
Talarico’s willingness to criticize Biden and challenge Trump’s immigration policies fit his message that Texans should not expect him to agree automatically with fellow Democrats.
“I’m a proud Democrat, but I already have a religion, and I already have a sports team, so I have no problem sharing hard truths with my party if it’s what’s best for Texas,” he told the audience.
