James Talarico, the Democrat who quotes Jesus and beats Trump in Texas

In 2022, he decided to enrol at the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary to study theology. He is already a Democratic MP in a state where religion plays a central role in political debate, particularly on the right. But he has no intention of leaving the language of faith to the Republicans.

He rose to national prominence in 2023, during a session of the Texas House of Representatives. On the table was SB 1515, a bill providing for the compulsory display of the Ten Commandments in state schools. Talarico took the floor and challenged the measure. He believes it violates the constitutional principle of the separation of church and state. Above all, as a Christian, he considers it ‘deeply anti-Christian’. The video of his speech went viral on social media and reached millions of people. It makes a big impact because the speaker is not a representative of the evangelical right, but a Democrat who quotes the Gospel to challenge a law supported by conservatives.

For him, Christian nationalism is ‘a cancer on our religion’. He supports the right to abortion, defends the rights of LGBTQ+ people and criticises the use of religion as a tool of political power. He goes so far as to claim that some atheists are ‘more like Christ’ than some of his Christian colleagues. His theological interpretations provoke extremely harsh reactions in conservative evangelical circles. In particular, his statements on the gender and nature of God – which Talarico describes as not reducible to the human categories of male and female – have sparked controversy. But he shows no sign of stopping and continues to post videos in which he weaves together biblical quotations and politics. On TikTok, he has built up a huge following.

His stance is unusual, particularly for the Democratic Party, which in recent years has often avoided directly confronting the right on religious issues. Talarico takes the opposite approach. He enters the debate, asserts his Christian identity and challenges the Republicans over the way they interpret the teachings of Jesus.

In the summer of 2025, he receives an invitation to “The Joe Rogan Experience” , one of the most popular podcasts in the United States. For over two hours, Talarico spoke about faith, politics, inequality and empathy. Rogan listened to him, pressed him for answers and questioned him on his views. At one point, he said to him: ‘You need to run for president. We need someone who’s actually a good person’. You must stand for president. We need someone who’s actually a good person.’ The phrase went viral. Rogan reaches millions of listeners, many of whom are young men, independents or those with right-wing leanings. In the 2024 presidential campaign, he had supported Donald Trump. Now he is suggesting that a young Texan Democrat should run for the White House. For Talarico, this is followed by interviews and profiles in the national and international press. His name begins to circulate amongst the Democrats to watch..

In September 2025, he announced his candidacy for the Federal Senate. The seat is currently held by the Republican John Cornyn , and Texas has not elected a Democratic senator for almost forty years.

Before taking on the Republicans, however, she must win a battle within her own party. In last March’s Democratic primaries, she faced Jasmine Crockett, a Member of Parliament who rose to fame for her verbal clashes with figures from the Trump-aligned right. Crockett has a direct, often aggressive style of communication. Talarico prefers to talk about wages, the cost of living, healthcare and corruption. He won the primary with just over 52 per cent of the vote.

Meanwhile, on the other hand, the Republican primary has produced a result that is causing concern amongst some in the party. Ken Paxton, the Attorney General of Texas, defeated the incumbent senator John Cornyn following a very tough internal campaign. Paxton is one of Trump’s most loyal allies. In 2023, the Texas House of Representatives voted to impeach him, though he was subsequently acquitted by the state Senate. His career has also been marred by allegations of financial fraud and investigations into corruption, although the latter have not led to a conviction. Talarico emphasises this very point. He accuses his opponent of representing a political class more interested in power than in the problems of ordinary citizens. Paxton responds by portraying him as a radical progressive, out of step with Texas values.

The contest has become the most expensive Senate race of the electoral cycle, with hundreds of millions of dollars spent on advertising. Even Elon Musk is funding groups that support Paxton. But Talarico is going all in – particularly on economic issues. He talks about food prices, health insurance, rents and the difficulties faced by families. He is seeking votes in large Democratic cities, in the suburbs, amongst independents and amongst disaffected Republican voters.

On 3 November, he won. In Austin, in front of supporters who had gathered to follow the vote count, he uttered a phrase that was destined to make the front pages of the newspapers: ‘We just took back Texas’. We’ve taken Texas back.

In the same elections, Gina Hinojosa defeated Greg Abbott in the race for governor, whilst the Democrats also won other state offices. This result is not enough to suggest that the state has become Democratic. In 2024, after all, Trump had secured a landslide victory, and the Republican Party retains a strong foothold in many rural and conservative areas. Furthermore, Paxton was a divisive candidate even within his own party. But the result of the 3 November vote tells us something that goes beyond Texas.

According to exit polls cited by Reuters, almost nine in ten American voters considered the cost of living to be an important factor in their voting decision. Two in three blamed Trump for high prices, and 62 per cent disapproved of his performance. The shift in support is also striking. According to the AP Voter Poll, around 70 per cent of under-30s voted for the Democrats in the House of Representatives, in contrast to a young electorate that had been split almost evenly between Trump and Harris in the 2024 presidential election. The Democrats also made up ground among Hispanic voters, winning around 60 per cent of the vote. This marks a reversal of the trend seen in 2024, when Trump had gained support precisely among this group of voters. The main factors were prices, the war with Iran, tariffs and discontent with the White House.

Meanwhile, in a Texas where the right has made religion one of its battlegrounds, the winner was a Democrat who quotes the Gospel to challenge it. And who, after almost forty years, has shown that even a Republican stronghold can change colour. It is not yet a blueprint for regaining the White House. But it is a lesson that, with an eye to 2028, the Democrats will find hard to ignore.