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Senate hopeful James Talarico is on the defensive after remarks resurfaced in which he lavished praise on Texas drag queens as “some of the best” in the country.
Talarico, the Democrats’ nominee in Texas’ hotly contested Senate race, made the comment in May 2023 while criticizing a bill in the state legislature banning “sexually oriented performances” on public property and in the presence of minors — a measure that would have likely restricted some drag shows.
He voted “present” 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.
“I think Texas is obviously the best state in the nation and I think we produce some of the best drag queens in the nation,” Talarico told The Texas Newsroom. “And I didn’t want any legislation to target them or hurt that industry.”
Texas Democratic Senate candidate and Texas state Rep. James Talarico speaks during the Hispanic Caucus at the Hilliard Center in Corpus Christi on June 26, 2026. (Katina Zentz/San Antonio Express-News via Getty Images)
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Talarico, a 37-year-old state legislator and seminarian, has repeatedly sparked controversy over past remarks on Christianity and gender issues in which he argued, “God is nonbinary,” claimed there are six biological sexes and gushed over transgender children.
The former middle school teacher also raised eyebrows in a resurfaced clip from 2022 in which he argued that scaling back meat consumption is “existential” to combating climate change and praised a left-wing activist group that advocated for dismantling the state’s massive oil and gas industry.
Republican Senate nominee Ken Paxton’s campaign hammered Talarico’s drag queen praise in a statement to Digital.
“This 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,” Paxton spokeswoman Madison Cercy said.
Talarico’s 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.
“He needs to stay away from kids and stop forcing his creepy trans-for-all agenda on Texas,” RNC spokesman Zach Kraft told Digital.
Digital reached out to Talarico’s campaign for comment.
A child listens as drag queen Brigitte Bandit reads a book during a drag story hour at The Little Gay Shop fashion accessories store on August 26, 2023, in Austin, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
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Gov. 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.
In February, a federal appeals court allowed the state law regulating drag shows to go into effect, while a legal fight over its constitutionality continues.
“I will always work to shield our children from exposure to erotic and inappropriate sexually-oriented performances,” Paxton wrote in a November 2025 press release. “It 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.”
Republicans’ criticism comes as Talarico is locked in a dead heat with Paxton just months ahead of the November midterm elections, according to recent polling.
A 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.
According 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.
Additionally, 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.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is shown during the Texas GOP convention in the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston on June 12, 2026. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
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However, the poll indicated that Talarico could struggle to overcome Democrats’ toxic brand in the Lone Star state, with 53% of respondents viewing the party as too far to the left.
