So James Talarico, the progressive Texas Democrat running for the US Senate, just dropped his first big ad of the general election. We’re talking seven figures, running in every major Texas market. And the theme is affordability. Talarico wants you to believe he’s the guy who brought both parties together to lower your taxes.
WATCH:
Critics argue that the story falls apart once you look at his legislative record.
Let’s start with property taxes. Talarico’s ad leans hard on the idea that he helped pass “the largest property tax cut in history” back in 2023. That’s SB 2, and it really was historic. It raised the homestead exemption all the way to $100,000. Real relief for Texas homeowners.
Here’s the problem. Public legislative records show Talarico did not co-sponsor that bill, even though eighteen of his fellow Democrats signed on. He also voted against an earlier property tax measure in 2019 that required many local governments to receive voter approval before increasing property tax revenue beyond certain limits.
Property taxes aren’t the only place this pattern appears. Talarico has also been a vocal opponent of the Working Families Tax Cuts, legislation supporters describe as one of the largest tax reductions in a generation. He referred to the legislation as “deeply immoral,” nicknamed it the “Big Ugly Bill,” and said those who voted for it “need to pay a price at the ballot box.”
VISIT OUR YOUTUBE CHANNELSupporters of the legislation argue it would increase take-home pay by as much as $10,700 for some Texas families, help preserve more than 500,000 jobs, expand the Child Tax Credit to roughly 3.5 million Texas families, and increase the standard deduction for approximately 12 million Texans. Those figures come from supporters of the legislation and reflect their projections rather than independent analysis.
So why oppose those tax policies? Critics point to Talarico’s broader voting record. Public records show he voted against a 2019 constitutional amendment prohibiting a state income tax, voted against a 2023 proposal banning a state wealth tax, did not vote on a 2025 proposal to prohibit taxes on unrealized capital gains, later voted against banning death taxes, and has campaigned in favor of increasing the corporate tax rate.
Then there’s the corruption issue, another topic Talarico frequently raises. Last year, he voted against legislation that would have prohibited no-bid lobbying contracts for local governments. During roughly the same period, reports indicate he earned tens of thousands of dollars as a contractor for a DEI-focused education organization.
There is also another issue that has received attention. Previous reporting raised questions about the timeline of Talarico’s romantic relationship with a former chief of staff, with statements from Talarico and another Texas House member suggesting the relationship began while she was still employed on his staff. This is a serious allegation based on published reporting, and it has not been independently verified.
Taken together, critics argue that Talarico’s advertising presents one version of his record while his legislative history presents another. Ultimately, Texas voters will decide which version they believe when Talarico faces Ken Paxton in the general election this November.
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