Talarico likens himself to Jesus, David in election victory speech: 'Time to start flipping tables'

By Jon Brown, Christian Post Reporter Wednesday, November 04, 2026

Democratic Texas state Rep. James Talarico likened himself to David and Jesus during his victory speech after defeating Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday in the state's U.S. Senate race. 

"I'm reminded of that story from Scripture of a shepherd boy who goes up against a giant," Talarico told an enthusiastic audience in Austin shortly before midnight. "For 40 days, Goliath teases and taunts. On the day of the fight, he shows up in full armor. He's carrying so many weapons; he needs someone else to carry his shield."

The 37-year-old state lawmaker and Presbyterian seminarian, who made Christian terminology central to his campaign, went on to compare the biblical story to the opposition he faced in his high-stakes race against Paxton. That opposition included a $168 million ad blitz funded by Elon Musk.

"In this race, we went up against our own Goliaths: the richest man in the world, the most powerful man in the world and the entire Washington, D.C. establishment," he said. "David wasn't as big or as strong as Goliath. He didn't have as many weapons, but he had hope. He had faith, and he had a slingshot."

"You were my slingshot. The people of Texas were my slingshot. And tonight, and tonight, we defeated Goliath," he continued to applause.

Touting what he described as "politics of love," Talarico framed his win as an underdog victory that "united Texans from all backgrounds and beliefs onto one team to take on this broken, corrupt political system."

Promising to represent change and a generational political shift, Talarico concluded: "That old politics is dying, and a new politics is being born through each of us, through every underdog, through every David, against every Goliath, through every Texan who believed in our state and believed in this movement."

Repeating a line he has used throughout his campaign, including in a speech earlier Tuesday, Talarico closed by comparing himself and his supporters to Jesus Christ cleansing the Temple.

"Now the real work begins. Two thousand years ago, when the people at the top hurt His neighbors, that barefoot rabbi didn't stay in a room and pray. He walked into the seat of power, and He flipped over the tables of injustice," he said.

"As this movement heads to the seat of power, as we head to the United States Senate, we know what this moment requires of us, Texas. It's time to start flipping tables," he added.

Talarico, who was first elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2018, handily defeated Paxton with 55% of the vote. It was the first statewide Democratic victory in Texas since 1994 and the party's first U.S. Senate win in the state since 1988. He will be the youngest member of the U.S. Senate when he is sworn in next year.

Paxton, the state's three-term attorney general, ran as a staunch ally of President Donald Trump, focusing on conservative priorities and opposing what he called Talarico's liberal record. His campaign was plagued from the outset by public and personal scandal. Talarico repeatedly labeled Paxton "the most corrupt politician in America" and used his scandals to argue that the system was rigged against ordinary Texans.

Paxton was impeached by the Texas House of Representatives in 2023 over allegations of corruption, bribery, abuse of office and obstruction of justice. He was later acquitted by the Texas Senate.

Despite securing support from some Evangelical leaders, the divorced candidate also faced scrutiny for alleged immorality in his personal life. He was caught with his "Christian influencer" mistress, Tracy Duhon, on their way to Europe over the Fourth of July weekend.

Talarico, who made the affordability crisis a key pillar of his campaign, seized on the optics of Paxton's trip with Duhon at the time. He accused Paxton of taking "lavish vacations in Iceland while Texans can't afford the basics," according to The San Antonio Observer.

Talarico's victory comes amid a wave of Democratic wins that flipped Texas blue, including the ouster of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who was seeking a fourth term in office. The party also swept races nationwide, regaining both houses of Congress as Trump's political coalition implodes amid much dissatisfaction with the economy and the lingering war in Iran.