JUST IN: Ghost From Talarico’s Past Comes Back To Haunt His Campaign

A former friend of James Talarico is accusing the Texas Democratic Senate candidate of betraying his own political allies to advance his career, resurfacing a nearly 18-year-old dispute that he claims exposes the lawmaker’s true character.

Mike Garcia, a former University of Texas College Republicans president who later worked for the Texas House Freedom Caucus, leveled the allegations in a lengthy social media thread Thursday night, describing how his friendship with Talarico unraveled over a bipartisan effort to lower college tuition.

Garcia claimed Talarico, then president of the University Democrats, abruptly abandoned the initiative to win favor with university administrators before landing a prominent student government position the following year.

“I’ve known @jamestalarico for nearly 20 years. When we were at @UTAustin in 2009, he ran the University Democrats and I ran the College Republicans. Although we disagreed, I once considered him a friend. But then he betrayed the entire student body for his own political gain,” Garcia wrote on X.

The Republican backed up portions of his account with a photograph of a February 2009 article from The Daily Texan, the university’s student newspaper, documenting an unusual alliance between the two campus political organizations.

The groups had joined forces to establish Tuition Relief Now, an initiative aimed at reducing rising tuition costs across the University of Texas system.

Their partnership produced a campus rally attended by then-state Sen. Dan Patrick, now Texas lieutenant governor, and plans for another demonstration at the state Capitol.

But Garcia said the cooperation came to an abrupt end just days before the second event, when the University Democrats unexpectedly withdrew their support.

“Just days before the Capitol rally, we received word that the University Democrats had changed their position on the issue of rising tuition and would no longer be participating in the rally. This was, to say the least, strange, surprising, and terribly disheartening to us,” Garcia wrote.

According to Garcia, members of Talarico’s own organization were blindsided by the decision.

He alleged that Talarico had reversed course without consulting fellow Democrats or the organization’s leadership, prompting questions about what had changed.

MUST-SEE: James Talarico Gets Exposed By Voter In Brutal Town Hall Moment

Garcia claimed he subsequently learned that Talarico had withdrawn his support to preserve his standing with university administrators who opposed tuition reductions.

“What we heard was that he pulled support so that he, himself, could stay in the good graces of the university’s leadership,” Garcia wrote.

The Republican suggested that the decision paid off when Talarico became executive director of the university’s student government the following year.

University of Texas records confirm that Talarico held the executive director position during the 2010-11 academic year. A university news release from October 2010 also identifies him in that role.

POLL: Will You Support Trump And His Candidates In The Midterms?

Those records establish Talarico’s subsequent appointment but do not substantiate Garcia’s allegation that the position was a reward for abandoning the tuition initiative.

Garcia’s accusations went beyond the college dispute.

After Talarico was elected to the Texas House in 2018, the two crossed paths again while Garcia was serving as general counsel for the conservative Texas House Freedom Caucus.

Garcia claimed the Democrat routinely attacked conservative lawmakers during legislative debates, only to adopt a friendly demeanor during private encounters in the Capitol.

“He started fine. He seemed sincere. But quickly, he devolved to routinely spending hours on the House floor avoiding genuine discussions, favoring instead to accuse us of racism,” Garcia wrote.

He described Talarico as someone whose public conduct differed sharply from his private interactions.

“Every interaction I had with him after that reinforced to me how fake he actually is, and how willing he is to lie to satisfy his political ambitions,” Garcia wrote.

The accusations arrive at a critical point in Talarico’s closely watched Senate campaign against Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.

Talarico has sought to appeal to independent and moderate voters, emphasizing affordability, bipartisanship and his Christian faith as he attempts to become the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from Texas in decades.

MUST-SEE: James Talarico Gets Exposed By Voter In Brutal Town Hall Moment

Garcia argued that the candidate’s political image is inconsistent with his conduct behind the scenes.

“Now, he’s lying again, claiming he has a moderate voting record. But this time there’s an abundance of evidence showing that isn’t the case. But worse than that, in my opinion, is his consistent betrayal,” Garcia wrote.

The former Republican student leader warned that the alleged incident at the University of Texas should serve as a warning to voters considering sending Talarico to Washington.

“None of us will be immune to Talarico’s habit of betrayal if he wins. He betrayed his own people for political gain, and you should know that he will not hesitate to do the same to all of us for his own political ambitions (which I guarantee you do not stop at the U.S. Senate).”

Garcia also questioned Talarico’s political ambitions, claiming the Democrat had spent years preparing for a national political career.

“Please believe me when I say that James Talarico has planned for this campaign for his entire life. He will not let the truth get in the way of his political career,” he wrote.

The thread concluded with a pointed reference to Talarico’s frequent use of Christian scripture in his political messaging.

“And he’ll do it all with a smile on his face, telling you that he’s preaching the Gospel,” Garcia wrote.

He followed the remark with a quotation from Matthew 7:15 warning against false prophets.

While the 2009 newspaper article confirms the original bipartisan tuition initiative, Garcia’s allegations about Talarico’s motives and the circumstances surrounding the partnership’s collapse have not been independently verified.

Talarico’s response to the allegations was not immediately available.

POLL: Would You Vote Against ANY Candidate Who Calls Themselves A Socialist?