Senate hopeful James Talarico is on the defensive after remarks resurfaced in which he lavished praise on Texas drag queens as \u201csome of the best\u201d in the country.
\nTalarico, the Democrats\u2019 nominee in Texas\u2019 hotly contested Senate race, made the comment in May 2023 while criticizing a bill in the state legislature banning \u201csexually oriented performances\u201d on public property and in the presence of minors \u2014 a measure that would have likely restricted some drag shows.
\nHe voted \u201cpresent\u201d on the legislation at the urging of the Texas House LGBTQ Caucus after language explicitly referencing drag performers was stripped from an earlier version, arguing the revised bill would better protect their performances, in a statement to The Texas Newsroom.
\n\u201cI think Texas is obviously the best state in the nation and I think we produce some of the best drag queens in the nation,\u201d Talarico told the outlet. \u201cAnd I didn\u2019t want any legislation to target them or hurt that industry.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\nTalarico, a 37-year-old state legislator and seminarian, has repeatedly sparked controversy over past remarks on Christianity and gender issues in which he argued, \u201cGod is nonbinary,\u201d claimed there are six biological sexes and gushed over transgender children.
\nThe former middle school teacher also raised eyebrows in a resurfaced clip from 2022 in which he argued that scaling back meat consumption is \u201cexistential\u201d to combating climate change and praised a left-wing activist group that advocated for dismantling the state\u2019s massive oil and gas industry.
\nRepublican Senate nominee Ken Paxton\u2019s campaign hammered Talarico\u2019s drag queen praise in a statement to Fox News Digital.
\n\u201cThis is just one more addition to the long list of out-of-touch, extreme views James Talarico holds that are out of step with the people of Texas,\u201d Paxton spokeswoman Madison Cercy said.
\nTalarico\u2019s remarks also prompted sharp criticism from the Republican National Committee (RNC), which is working aggressively to keep the open seat currently held by retiring Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, in Republican hands.
\n\u201cHe needs to stay away from kids and stop forcing his creepy trans-for-all agenda on Texas,\u201d RNC spokesman Zach Kraft told Fox News Digital.
\nFox News Digital reached out to Talarico\u2019s campaign for comment.<\/p>\n
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\nGov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, signed the legislation, known as Senate Bill 12, in June 2023, but its enforcement has been subject to years-long legal challenges brought by LGBTQ organizations over alleged violations of First Amendment rights. Under the law, businesses can face up to a $10,000 fine for hosting a prohibited performance and drag performers could also be subject to criminal penalties.
\nIn February, a federal appeals court allowed the state law regulating drag shows to go into effect, while a legal fight over its constitutionality continues.
\n\u201cI will always work to shield our children from exposure to erotic and inappropriate sexually-oriented performances,\u201d Paxton wrote in a November 2025 press release. \u201cIt is an honor to have defended this law, ensuring that our state remains safe for families and children, and I look forward to continuing to vigorously defend it on remand before the district court.\u201d
\nRepublicans\u2019 criticism comes as Talarico is locked in a dead heat with Paxton just months ahead of the November midterm elections, according to recent polling.
\nA New York Times\/Siena College survey released last week found that both candidates are tied, with 47% of the vote among likely voters in Texas.
\nAccording to the poll, approximately half of the respondents said Paxton, a Trump ally aligned with the MAGA movement, is too extreme, while just 43% viewed Talarico that way.
\nAdditionally, less than four in 10 respondents believe Paxton has good character or the right kind of morals, while 56% and 51% of voters, respectively, said Talarico does, the survey found.<\/p>\n
However, the poll indicated that Talarico could struggle to overcome Democrats\u2019 toxic brand in the Lone Star state, with 53% of respondents viewing the party as too far to the left.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"