Talarico recants past statements, says he was 'intentionally provocative' by calling God 'non-binary'

Democratic nominee for US Senate blasts Paxton as 'most corrupt politician in America'

By Ian M. Giatti, Christian Post Reporter Friday, May 29, 2026

Texas state Rep. James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, sought Wednesday to defuse Republican attacks over his past comments on religion and gender while intensifying his assault on his opponent, Attorney General Ken Paxton, calling him “the most corrupt politician in America.”

In a wide-ranging interview with CBS News’ Ed O’Keefe — his first network television appearance since Paxton defeated incumbent Sen. John Cornyn in the GOP runoff — Talarico addressed resurfaced 2021 remarks that have become a central line of attack from Republicans.

When asked about his statement during a 2021 legislative debate that “God is non-binary,” Talarico said he had been “intentionally provocative” but stood by the underlying idea. “What it means is that God can't be defined by human categories,” he explained. “The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Galatians says that in Christ there is neither male nor female.”

Talarico, a lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) who is working toward a Master of Divinity degree at the denomination's Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, also clarified his earlier comments on biological sex during a debate over trans-identified male athletes competing against women when he claimed, "Modern science acknowledges six biological variations based on chromosomes to argue that sex is a nuanced spectrum, not a strict binary." 

In his interview with CBS News, Talarico rejected his previous statement.

“I know there are two sexes, men and women,” he said. “I also know there's a very small percentage of people who have these chromosomal abnormalities, and I believe they deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.”

When asked whether he regretted making such comments, Talarico said, “There are some statements that I've made that I certainly regret. There are statements that I've made where I've missed the mark. I'll be the first to admit that.”

Paxton’s campaign has highlighted those statements along with others Talarico has made about transgenderism and immigration in its first general election advertisement, which ends with the tagline “Radical Talarico: too low-T for Texas.”

Talarico dismissed the attacks as distractions. “Ken Paxton is clipping my past cringey comments to distract from his career of corruption,” he said, describing it as part of a Republican playbook of “distraction and division.”

The Democratic candidate repeatedly pivoted to Paxton’s record, accusing him of giving “Epstein-style sweetheart deals to pedophiles.” He cited the recent release of Adam Hoffman — who pleaded guilty to indecent assault and displaying harmful materials to a minor after a trial resulted in a hung jury — saying the man served less than a month instead of 25 years to life and was kept off the sex offender registry after intervention by one of Paxton’s wealthy lawyer friends.

“Ken Paxton is the most corrupt politician in America, and it is costing Texans. It's endangering our children, and it must end,” Talarico said. “I think the Epstein class has no place in Texas and this November we're going to come together to defeat Ken Paxton and take back our state for the people.”

Talarico framed the race as a fight against systemic corruption that transcends traditional partisan lines. “The real fight in this country is not left versus right. It's top versus bottom,” he said. “We're all getting screwed. None of us can afford anything. None of us can get ahead no matter how hard we work. And that's because this system, this political system and economic system, are rigged against us.”

Talarico, an eighth-generation Texan, also pushed back on claims he is vegan — a politically fraught allegation in the Lone Star State, generally considered the American standard when it comes to barbecue. 

In a recently resurfaced video from 2022, Talarico, wearing a coronavirus-era face mask, said, “It is now existential that we try to reduce our meat consumption and that we try to respect animals in all aspects of society." He went on to declare that his campaign “has officially become a non-meat campaign. … We are only buying vegan products from our local vegan businesses.”

In Wednesday’s interview, Talarico denied that either he or his campaign was vegan.

“I'm not a vegan. I've been eating barbecue since before Ken Paxton's first indictment. And this campaign basically runs on Texas barbecue,” he said. “If all they have is lying about me being a vegan, I feel pretty good about our chances this November.”

Republican establishment leaders, who largely saw Cornyn as more electable, have now rallied behind Paxton. Senate Majority Leader John Thune called Talarico a “far left liberal.”

Democrats believe Talarico’s outreach to independents, disaffected Trump voters and Cornyn supporters could make the race competitive in the deeply red state.

Talarico has explicitly courted those voters, saying, “There is a lot of disillusionment among the president’s supporters here in Texas, and I’m extending an open hand to those Trump voters. So that they know they have a place in our campaign.”