EXCLUSIVE: Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico bragged in a resurfaced interview that his church had stirred controversy by housing a family of illegal immigrants who were set to be deported by ICE, laughing as he said that "Christianity is just another word for causing trouble."Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian who serves as a Democratic state representative, is running against Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for a Senate seat that is critical to both parties.In a resurfaced clip of Talarico speaking on Texas Impact's "Weekly Witness" show in June 2023, he credited his faith for "why I am in politics." Asked how his faith influences his politics, Talarico pointed to examples of his church advancing progressive causes, saying, "Justice is just love out in public.""Our church was really active in LGBTQ rights in the 90’s, we caught some attention by letting an atheist join our church in the 2000’s, and then in the 2010’s again stirred some controversy by housing an undocumented family, a mother and son, who were close to being deported by ICE," he said."That was the tradition that I was brought up in.
It’s what led me to teach public school students on the west side of San Antonio, led me to run an education nonprofit and then led me to run for office."TEXAS DEM NOMINEE JAMES TALARICO INVOKES FAITH TO DEFEND ABORTION RIGHTS, ‘THE BIBLE IS SILENT ON ABORTION'Texas Democratic Senate candidate and state Rep.James Talarico speaks during the Hispanic Caucus at the Hilliard Center in Corpus Christi, Texas, on June 26, 2026.
(Katina Zentz/San Antonio Express-News via Getty Images)"And so, again," he continued, "this idea that Christianity is just another word for causing trouble."During the same interview, Talarico decried what he referred to as "Christo-fascism" and the religious right, which he accused of seeking to subvert democracy by forcing a "certain type of Christianity."Asked for specific examples of Christo-fascism in Texas,...