JUST IN: Talarico’s Moderate Persona Crushed After Hot Mic Confirms Radical Senate Agenda

Undercover footage of Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico reassuring a supporter that his position on transgender athletes has not changed has resurfaced in the final stretch of the campaign, renewing scrutiny of his public statements on the controversial issue.

The recording, first published by The Daily Wire in September, shows Talarico speaking with a woman posing as a supporter just four days after he told Fox News that he would oppose transgender athletes competing in girls’ sports if their participation threatened safety or fairness.

The exchange took place Sept. 13 at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in Houston, where the woman asked Talarico whether he would defend her transgender niece, including her ability to compete in women’s athletics.

“Always,” Talarico responded. “The way I fought for trans kids in the legislature is how I will fight for them in the U.S. Senate. And my position hasn’t changed.”

Talarico went on to explain that he favors allowing individual communities and athletic organizations to determine eligibility rather than imposing sweeping restrictions.

“I still think these should be local decisions, sport by sport, athlete by athlete, and I think I have the most inclusive policy of any candidate who’s running. So I know things are getting clipped and stuff, but my views, my position hasn’t changed,” Talarico said. “And I’m gonna have your loved ones back.”

The footage has drawn renewed attention to the Democrat’s position on transgender participation in girls’ athletics as the November election approaches.

During a Sept. 9 interview with Fox News, Talarico had emphasized the importance of protecting female athletes and acknowledged that he had previously missed the mark on certain issues.

“Every sport has to be safe and fair. As a former public school teacher, I care a lot about our student athletes. And so, I will oppose trans athletes playing in girls’ sports if it risks safety or fairness,” Talarico told the outlet.

Four days later, however, Talarico assured the purported supporter that his underlying position remained unchanged and described his approach as the most inclusive among the candidates.

The distinction has become a point of contention between Talarico and Republicans, who argue that his public messaging is at odds with his legislative record.

Wow I completely missed this.

Daily Wire caught Talarico on hidden video in September saying he fully intends to push the same trans policies he supported in the past.

There’s no way Texas votes for this guy. https://t.co/cZSlvWNQao

— Walter Curt (@wcdispatch) October 25, 2026

In 2021, Talarico opposed Texas Senate Bill 29, which sought to require public school athletes to compete on teams corresponding to the biological sex listed on their birth certificates.

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He also voted against Senate Bill 14 in 2023, which restricted certain gender-transition procedures and treatments for minors.

During his September Fox News appearance, Talarico said he would absolutely support a nationwide ban on gender-transition surgeries for minors, another position Republicans have contrasted with his earlier legislative votes.

Talarico has maintained that his position on athletics allows for restrictions when safety or fairness is at risk, while leaving eligibility decisions to local authorities on a case-by-case basis.

Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton’s campaign pointed to the undercover footage as evidence that Talarico was attempting to present different messages to different audiences.

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“James Talarico can’t outrun his own radical record, and this bombshell video proves it,” Madison Cercy, a Paxton campaign spokeswoman, said to The Daily Wire’s report. “He voted against protecting kids and voted against protecting girls’ sports. Now, even he admits his position ‘hasn’t changed.’ This video has finally exposed James Talarico for who he truly is: a hypocrite, rampant flip-flopper, and a liar.”

The September recording was not the first undercover footage to raise questions about Talarico’s campaign messaging. Previous recordings involving individuals associated with Democratic political circles also prompted scrutiny of whether his public positions reflected a broader effort to appeal to moderate voters.

With Election Day approaching, the resurfaced footage has once again put Talarico’s legislative record and public statements under the microscope in one of the country’s most closely watched Senate contests.

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