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James Talarico A state legislator, James Talarico is trying to flip a U.S. Senate seat in Texas to the Democrats in 2026. His ability to combine progressive policies with his Christian faith has pundits speculating if he might pull it off. (more)

James Talarico

progressive Texas politician

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Also known as: James Dell Causey

Written by

Tracy Grant

Tracy Grant is a senior editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica. She previously served as editor in chief, the first woman to hold that title. 

Tracy Grant

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Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

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Last updated

Feb. 19, 2026 •

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What are James Talarico’s political aspirations in 2026?

James Talarico is running in the Texas Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate against fellow progressive, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett. The winner of that race will face the winner of the Republican primary, which pits incumbent Sen. John Cornyn against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Some Democrats see this as an opportunity to win a statewide race in Texas, long held as a largely unattainable goal.

What is notable about James Talarico’s background and personal beliefs?

James Talarico is a devout Christian who quotes scripture, drives a Chevy pickup, and wears Lucchese cowboy boots. He hopes to be a pastor one day and is a proud “eighth-generation Texan.” His background has made him an appealing candidate to some moderates and Republicans, despite his progressive policy positions.

How did James Talarico’s early life influence his career?

James Talarico credits his minister grandfather for instilling in him the principles of Christianity, which he applies to politics. He has said that his experience as a teacher also prepared him for handling the drama of politics.

What was a significant legislative achievement for Talarico?

In 2021 James Talarico, who has Type 1 diabetes, introduced a bill in the Texas Legislature to cap the monthly price of insulin at $50. A bill capping insulin out-of-pocket costs became law later that year.

Why did James Talarico oppose a bill mandating the posting of the Ten Commandments in schools?

James Talarico opposed a bill mandating the posting of the Ten Commandments in schools and called it “unconstitutional,” “un-American,” and “un-Christian,” citing a gospel passage against the hypocrisy of public prayer.

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Texas' Senate primary race between Crockett and Talarico ramps up after pulled Colbert interview • Feb. 19, 2026, 10:41 PM ET (AP)

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James Talarico is perhaps the unlikeliest of poster children for progressive Democratic politics in the 2020s. Consider:

He’s a devout Christian who quotes scripture as he campaigns and hopes to be a pastor one day.

He drives a Chevy pickup and sports Lucchese cowboy boots.

He’s a proud “eighth-generation Texan.”

Talarico, a member of the Texas state legislature, is running in the 2026 Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate against fellow progressive U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett. The fact that his résumé could lead voters to mistake him for a Republican isn’t a bug of his campaign; it’s the defining feature.

Early life

Meet James Talarico

James Dell Causey was born to Tamara Causey, a single mother and the daughter of a minister, in Round Rock, Texas, an Austin suburb, in 1989. His father was abusive, and when James was a baby, Tamara Causey left with her son in the middle of the night. The two lived at the hotel where she worked until finding an apartment. Tamara Causey later married Mark Talarico, who adopted James.

Growing up, he attended St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, which is known as being socially progressive. Talarico credits his minister grandfather for instilling in him the principles of Christianity: “Love God and love neighbor.” He applies those principles to politics, saying in a 2025 cable news interview: “Politics is really just another word for how we treat our neighbors.”

He attended the University of Texas at Austin, earning a bachelor’s degree in government and serving as president of the University Democrats and executive director of Student Government. After college he joined Teach for America, where he taught sixth-grade English in San Antonio. Rather than being a detour to a career in politics, Talarico described it as the perfect preparation:

If you can handle the drama of a middle-school classroom, you can certainly handle the drama at the state capitol.

After helping run an education nonprofit and getting a master’s degree in education policy from Harvard, the Texas state capitol would, in fact, be his next stop.

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Legislative career

Swearing inJames Talarico taking the oath of office in January 2025, at the start of his fourth term in the Texas legislature. With him are his mother and father, Tamara and Mark Talarico.(more)

Talarico launched his political career in 2018, running for the Texas House of Representatives in a district that had been held by Republicans since 2010 in a state that Donald Trump had won by 9 points in 2016. He beat his opponent, Republican Cynthia Flores, by 3 points. At 29 he was the youngest member of the Texas Legislature.

Talarico, who won reelection in 2020, 2022, and 2024, developed a legislative agenda in the Texas House that was defined by his experience as a teacher, informed by his faith, and driven by his experience with a medical crisis—all while gaining an increasing, if somewhat unlikely, national profile.

In 2018, during his first campaign, Talarico was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. In 2021 he shared his story, as well as the staggering cost of his insulin (almost $700 a month), when introducing legislation to cap the monthly price at $50. A bill capping out-of-pocket insulin costs became law later that year.

In 2023, when a Republican fellow legislator introduced a bill to mandate that the Ten Commandments be placed in every public school, Talarico may have seemed an unlikely opponent of the legislation. He had entered Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, studying for a master of divinity degree, a year earlier. But during a committee hearing, in a moment that went viral on social media, he declared: “This bill, to me, is not only unconstitutional, it’s not only un-American, I think it is also deeply un-Christian,” citing a gospel passage in which Jesus warns his disciples against the hypocrisy of public prayer.

He also spoke out in the wake of a Texas mass shooting, saying in a 2023 speech on the Texas House floor: “There is something profoundly cynical about asking God to solve a problem that we’re not willing to solve ourselves.”

Talarico has found a way to walk a line in Texas, offering a progressive policy agenda that appeals to liberals while speaking in a way that resonates with some moderate and Republican voters. When he appeared on conservative podcaster Joe Rogan’s show in 2025, Rogan announced to his more than 14 million listeners: “James Talarico, you need to run for president. We need someone who is actually a good person.”

Running for Senate

In September 2025 Talarico entered the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate. Winning a Senate seat in Texas has long been a white whale of Democratic politics. But with the Republican incumbent John Cornyn facing a primary challenge from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, some Democrats feel that the upheaval in the GOP may crack open the door for possible victory in the 2026 midterm elections.

“Jesus is the reason that I’m in politics.” —James Talarico

Talarico’s main opponent in the March 3, 2026, primary is Rep. Jasmine Crockett, an outspoken critic of U.S. Pres. Donald Trump who is known for her verbal tussles with Republican lawmakers, including Rep. Nancy Mace and former representative Marjorie Taylor Greene as well as Attorney General Pam Bondi. Although Talarico and Crockett boast progressive bona fides, electability has become a key issue in the campaign.

Cornyn has called Crockett “not electable,” but perhaps more concerning for Crockett was the endorsement of Talarico by the Houston Chronicle, which carried the headline “Do you want to win or not?” and touted Talarico’s appeal to more moderate voters.

For his part, Talarico has faced allegations of racism regarding comments attributed to him. He was quoted as saying that former Rep. Colin Allred, who dropped out of the Senate race when Crockett entered it, is “mediocre.” (Both Allred and Crockett are Black.) Talarico said the quotation was taken out of context and was in reference to Allred’s campaign, not his life. (Allred lost the U.S. Senate race to Sen. Ted Cruz in 2024.)

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Political Affiliation:   Democratic Party  
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In February 2026 Talarico went viral again, this time for a talk show appearance that almost didn’t happen. Talarico was booked to appear on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, but CBS lawyers told Colbert that based on guidance from the Trump administration, such an interview would be a violation of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) “equal time” rule. (Traditionally, that rule has not been applied to talk shows such as Colbert’s.) Though the segment didn’t air on CBS, Colbert posted it to the show’s YouTube channel, which is not subject to FCC regulation. Talarico posted a clip from the segment on X, calling it “the interview Donald Trump didn’t want you to see” and adding that Trump is “worried we’re about to flip Texas.”