Democrat Senate hopeful James Talarico claims non-Christian colleagues 'more Christ-like'

Texas state Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, claimed last week that some of his atheist and other non-Christian colleagues in the Texas Legislature exhibit more "Christ-like" qualities than some of his fellow legislators who claim to be Christian.

Talarico, who will compete against Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, to be their party's nominee for the U.S. Senate in a primary on March 3, told journalist Al Hunt and Democratic strategist James Carville on their "Politics War Room" podcast last Friday that people should focus more on being like Jesus instead of "forcing" Christianity on others.

"Instead of putting the 10 Commandments in every classroom, instead of forcing school children to read the Bible against their wills, why don't we, all of us, look inward and figure out how we can be more Christ-like, even when it's uncomfortable," said Talarico, who, in 2023, spearheaded a legislative effort opposing a bill (and now law) to display the Ten Commandments in Texas public schools.

When Hunt noted that Muslims and Hindus can also "learn a lot from Jesus," Talarico said, "I have met so many Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jews, Muslims, atheists, agnostics who are more Christ-like than some of the Christians I serve with in the Texas Legislature. It is about how you treat other people."

James Talarico: “These Christians in Congress, these Christian Nationalists, they want a Christian nation unless it means providing healthcare to the sick. Unless it means funding food assistance for the hungry. Or raising the minimum wage for the poor. None of their policies… pic.twitter.com/IDRCygr47k

— Marco Foster (@MarcoFoster_) January 30, 2026

Talarico went on to claim that "Christian nationalists" in Congress "want a Christian nation unless it means providing health care to the sick, unless it means funding food assistance for the hungry or raising the minimum wage for the poor."

The son of a Baptist minister, Talarico has made his status as a seminarian at the PCUSA's Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary a key part of his campaign and often invokes the Bible when denouncing conservatives.

On Sunday, Talarico tweeted a clip from a recent speech in which he made the common argument that the Bible's command to be hospitable applies to U.S. immigration law.

"The most common commandment in the Bible is welcome the stranger," he said after accusing federal agents of behaving like secret police. "Scripture says we welcome the stranger, because we were once strangers."

America is the immigrant.
America is the protestor.
America is the huddled masses yearning to be free.

Alex Pretti is America.
Renee Good is America.
Liam Ramos is America.

In this moment of crisis, America needs patriots now more than ever. pic.twitter.com/l3EbzPMR4b

— James Talarico (@jamestalarico) February 1, 2026

During an interview last month with New York Times columnist Ezra Klein, Talarico claimed other religions contain "the same truth" as Christianity, and that while he believes "Christianity points to the truth," he also believes "other religions of love point to the same truth."

"You and I could sit here and debate what to call this cup, and you could call it a 'cup' in English, you'd call it something else in Spanish and French. But we are all talking about the same reality. I believe Jesus Christ reveals that reality to us, but I also think that other traditions reveal that reality in their own ways with their own symbol structures," he said.

Talarico also claimed he learned more about his own faith "by learning more about Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism," describing them as "beautiful faith traditions" that are "circling the same truth about the universe, about the cosmos, and that truth is inherently a mystery."

Talarico, who has claimed that God is non-binary, that Jesus was a "radical feminist" and that there are six biological sexes, grew up in the liberal St. Andrew Presbyterian Church in Austin, whose pastor, Jim Rigby, was put on trial by the PCUSA for ordaining LGBT clergy since the 1990s, according to Politico.

In a sermon he delivered at the church in 2022, Talarico warned against "Christofascism," which he defined as any form of Christianity "that worships power — social power, political power, economic power — in the name of Christ."

During an episode of the "Vote Common Good" podcast last month, he claimed his faith moves him to reject "Christian nationalism" in favor of recommitting "to the unfinished project of a multi-racial, multicultural democracy."

During an appearance on "The Joe Rogan Experience" in July, Talarico invoked the Virgin Mary and the Incarnation to defend abortion, noting that Mary consented to the angel Gabriel's message.

In November, Talarico was found to be following OnlyFans models, porn stars and prostitutes on his Instagram. His campaign maintained that the lawmaker has never subscribed to OnlyFans or an escort service, and suggested that Talarico and his social media team were following users without judging them in accordance with his Christian faith.