👤 Person

James Talarico

American politician (born 1989)

📊 Rating

31 news mentions · 👍 0 likes · 👎 0 dislikes

💡 Information Card

Who / What

James Talarico is an American politician, Presbyterian seminarian, and former public school teacher serving as a member of the Texas House of Representatives. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been recognized as a "rising star" among Texas Democrats since taking office in 2018.

Background & History

Born in Round Rock, Texas on May 17, 1989, Talarico graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts in government. Before entering politics, he worked as a public school teacher. He is currently pursuing his education as a Presbyterian seminarian while serving in the Texas Legislature.

Why Notable

Talarico has gained prominence as a notable figure in Texas politics, particularly among Democrats. His unique background combining education, religious study, and political service has shaped his approach to governance. His recognition as a "rising star" indicates his growing influence and potential for greater impact in Texas politics.

In the News

As a sitting member of the Texas House of Representatives, Talarico continues to be active in state legislative matters. His status as a "rising star" suggests he remains in the public eye, though specific recent developments are not detailed in the provided information.

Key Facts

Type: person

Also known as: James Dell Talarico

Founded / Born: May 17, 1989 in Round Rock, Texas

Key dates: 2018 (began serving in Texas House of Representatives)

Geography: United States, Texas

Affiliation: Democratic Party, Texas House of Representatives

📌 Topics

Texas Politics (6)
Elections (4)
Political Strategy (4)
Democratic Strategy (3)
Media Censorship (3)
Campaign Finance (3)
Media Regulation (3)
Foreign Policy (2)
Party Dynamics (2)
Democratic Party (2)
Midterm Elections (2)
Voter Rights (2)

🏷️ Keywords

James Talarico (30) · Stephen Colbert (9) · Jasmine Crockett (9) · CBS (7) · John Cornyn (7) · Texas Senate Primary (7) · Texas Politics (6) · Ken Paxton (5) · Texas Senate race (4) · Democratic Primary (4) · FCC (4) · Texas politics (3) · Texas Senate primary (3) · Texas Senate (3) · Late Show (3) · Democrat (2) · elections (2) · political strategy (2) · Senate race (2) · Texas Democrats (2)

📖 Key Information

James Dell Talarico ( TA-luh-REE-koh; born May 17, 1989) is an American politician, Presbyterian seminarian, and former public school teacher serving since 2018 as a member of the Texas House of Representatives. A member of the Democratic Party, Talarico has been called a "rising star" among Texas Democrats. Born in Round Rock, Texas, Talarico graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts in government.

📰 Related News (31)

🇺🇸 James Talarico Responds With ‘Love’ To Hegseth Pastor’s Criticism (2026-03-25)
James Talarico, the Democratic nominee for Senate in Texas, said, “You may pray for my death, Pastor, but I still love you.” The pastor said he was ca...
🇺🇸 Trump, GOP intensify attacks on Democrat Talarico as he seeks to end party's losing streak in Texas (2026-03-22)
President Trump took aim Sunday at Texas state Rep. James Talarico, calling the Democratic U.S. Senate nominee a guaranteed loser in November....
🇺🇸 Democrat James Talarico on Iran war concerns and the key Texas Senate race (2026-03-09)
Texas state Rep. James Talarico, who won the Democratic primary for Senate last week, tells "CBS Mornings" "people across the political spectrum are d...
🇺🇸 In Senate Race, Talarico Challenges ‘Heretical’ Right-Wing Christianity (2026-03-09)
James Talarico, the Democratic nominee from Texas, hopes to counter what he sees as a conservative takeover of the American church....
🇺🇸 How Talarico Won Texas Democrats With Love, Luck and a Little Restraint (2026-03-07)
A carefully disciplined campaign that capitalized on viral media, months of organizing and strong outreach to Latino voters helped propel James Talari...
🇺🇸 CBS did James Talarico a favor when it pulled his Colbert interview (2026-03-06)
'In a flash, James Talarico had national name recognition and his campaign caught fire,' writes an L.A. Times reader....
🇺🇸 Dems aren’t sure whether to actually spend big to flip Texas (2026-03-06)
National Democrats are worried the money it would take to compete in Texas could be better spent elsewhere....
🇺🇸 GOP anxieties rise in Texas after Talarico victory (2026-03-05)
Republican anxieties are rising in Texas, where Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton will clash in a runoff race in May, as Democrat...
🇺🇸 What to know after James Talarico beats Jasmine Crockett in Texas Democratic Senate primary (2026-03-04)
Texas' highly-anticipated Democratic Senate primary is over. State Rep. James Talarico is projected to beat Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett for the par...
🇺🇸 James Talarico Says ‘New Politics Is Being Born’ After Texas Primary Win (2026-03-05)
After clinching the Democratic Senate primary, he told supporters in Austin that the country’s real divide is between “top versus bottom,” not the lef...
🇺🇸 Talarico gives defiant victory party speech: ‘There is something happening in Texas’ (2026-03-05)
Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico gave a defiant and hopeful speech at a victory party Wednesday night, a day after he won his party's ...
🇺🇸 James Talarico Wins the Texas Democratic Senate Race. The Real Challenge Lies Ahead. (2026-03-04)
After the state representative won the Senate primary, he joined a list of other promising progressives who have captured the left’s fancy....
🇺🇸 Takeaways from James Talarico's Senate primary win in Texas over Jasmine Crockett (2026-03-04)
Texas State Rep. James Talarico defeated Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the Lone Star State's Democratic Senate primary on Tuesday. CBS News senior White Ho...
🇺🇸 Rising Democrat star James Talarico wins Texas primary for US Senate (2026-03-04)
Republican rivals John Cornyn and Ken Paxton forced into run-off in their party’s contest...
🇺🇸 5 takeaways from the first primaries of the 2026 midterms (2026-03-04)
Voters headed to the polls Tuesday in the first primaries of the midterm election season. The latest results from Arkansas, North Carolina and Texas....
🇺🇸 Talarico won his primary. What happens next is outside his control. (2026-03-04)
James Talarico prevailed in a hard-fought Democratic contest. Now he waits to see if he'll face scandal-plagued Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton — or...
🇺🇸 Talarico Bests Crockett in Texas Senate Primary, Republicans to Runoff (2026-03-04)
The first major contest of the 2026 primary cycle will send Christian progressive James Talarico to November's general election...
🇺🇸 Colbert Bump! James Talarico Wins Demoractic Primary for Texas Senate Seat (2026-03-04)
Talarico was at the center of controversy in February, when his 'Late Show' interview was blocked from airing on broadcast by CBS' lawyers....
🇺🇸 James Talarico projected to win Texas Democratic Senate primary (2026-03-04)
Texas Rep. James Talarico will win the Democratic Senate primary in Texas, CBS News projects, defeating Rep. Jasmine Crockett in what could be one of ...
🇺🇸 'Wow': Steve Kornacki reacts to incoming vote numbers in Texas (2026-03-04)
Steve Kornacki breaks down early voting results in a key county in the Texas Senate primary race between Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico, as well ...
🇺🇸 Chaos In Texas: Hollywood Faves James Talarico & Jasmine Crockett’s Senate Primary Ruptured Over Dallas Votes & Court Orders (2026-03-04)
“We are not going to have election results tonight in Dallas County,” Democratic Senate candidate Jasmine Crockett told supporters late Tuesday just a...
🇺🇸 GOP Sen. John Cornyn fights for political survival as Democrats choose their path in Texas (2026-03-04)
The first polls have closed in Texas, where voters are set to decide two hotly contested primaries for the Senate that could determine whether the sta...
🇺🇸 Is questioning electability racism? Texas’ tense Dem primary comes to a head. (2026-03-02)
Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico have been locked in a fierce Senate primary loaded with racial overtones and questions about electability....
🇺🇸 Democrats are spoiling for a fight in Texas: From the Politics Desk (2026-02-25)
This is the online version of From the Politics Desk, a daily newsletter that brings you the NBC News Politics team’s latest reporting and analysis fr...
🇺🇸 FCC chairman says the agency is investigating ABC's 'The View' over equal time rule (2026-02-19)
The Federal Communications Commission is investigating ABC's "The View" over possible violations of the requirement that broadcast stations give equal...
🇺🇸 Details on controversy over Stephen Colbert's interview with James Talarico (2026-02-19)
"The Late Show" host Stephen Colbert again claimed on Tuesday night that CBS told him not to air an interview with Texas Democratic Senate candidate J...
🇺🇸 Stephen Colbert slams CBS again amid controversy over Talarico interview (2026-02-18)
"The Late Show" host Stephen Colbert slammed CBS again on Tuesday night after the network issued a statement about his interview with Texas Democrat J...
🇺🇸 Stephen Colbert says CBS pulled candidate interview ahead of early voting in Texas (2026-02-17)
Late-night host Stephen Colbert said his interview with Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico was pulled from Monday night's broadcast over...
🇺🇸 Colbert Slams Trump Administration After CBS Pulls Talarico Interview (2026-02-17)
Stephen Colbert said he had to drop an interview with James Talarico from his Monday broadcast because of new F.C.C. guidance that targeted political ...
🇺🇸 Stephen Colbert says CBS blocks James Talarico interview from air (2026-02-17)
"I think Donald Trump is worried we're about to flip Texas," Texas state Rep. James Talarico said. "This is the party that ran against cancel culture....
🇺🇸 Stephen Colbert says CBS didn't air Rep. James Talarico interview out of fear of FCC (2026-02-17)
"Late Show" host Stephen Colbert said CBS did not air his Monday interview with Senate candidate Rep....