Texas Democrat James Talarico faces grilling from voters at town hall in tight Senate race

Key points

• James Talarico, the Texas Democratic Senate nominee, faced undecided voters at a CNN town hall on Wednesday evening.
• Most recent polls show Talarico with a narrow lead over Republican Ken Paxton in the Senate race.
• Paxton declined CNN's invitation to appear, while leaked audio revealed him criticizing his own party and campaign leaders.

James Talarico, the Texas Democratic nominee for Senate, faced undecided voters at a CNN town hall on Wednesday evening. He was questioned on Israel's military campaign in Gaza, abortion and foreign aid, among other contentious issues.

Talarico is locked in a competitive race against Republican Ken Paxton to become Texas's next US senator. Most recent polls show Talarico with a narrow lead over Paxton, who declined an invitation to appear on CNN, host Erin Burnett said at the start of the town hall.

Questions on faith and abortion

One voter, a devout small business owner, questioned the authenticity of Talarico's faith, referencing a past remark in which he described God as nonbinary. Talarico said he was being provocative and wanted to come clean, adding that the idea that God cannot be defined using human categories is not controversial theologically. He said he was receptive to feedback from Christians.

Jodi Hunt, a self-described single-issue voter, asked how she could trust that Talarico, as a Catholic voter, would protect the most innocent among us. Talarico described the Bible as silent on abortion, and Hunt countered by quoting "Thou shalt not kill". Talarico said they may have different moral conclusions but the same public policy goal, framing abortion as a public health issue that could be solved by reducing unplanned pregnancies.

False claims got millions of views online and this is an example of what I call the 'rage economy'

— James Talarico

Disinformation and Paxton's controversies

Talarico cast himself as a moderate who would put the needs of Texans over party allegiances, and railed against the ultra-wealthy as the common enemy. Over the weekend, he became the subject of a disinformation campaign after being absent from the campaign trail for more than a week. His campaign said he was sick with the flu, while conservative influencers falsely accused him of receiving medical treatment at a mental health facility in Ohio. Paxton and Trump sought to fuel skepticism about Talarico's health and fitness for office. Talarico denied the false allegations after returning last week, noting he had never been to Ohio.

Paxton has faced his own controversies. Leaked audio recordings from a closed-door meeting, posted online, revealed him criticizing his own party and campaign leaders in DC. He was impeached by the Texas state legislature in 2023 on allegations including bribery and abuse of public trust, though he was later acquitted. His wife of almost four decades, Angela Paxton, filed for divorce in 2025 on "biblical grounds", citing adultery. Trump endorsed Paxton to run against Talarico, passing up incumbent Republican John Cornyn.