VIDEO: James Talarico Endorses Gun Control, Calls For ‘Assault Weapons’ Ban

A campaign trail clip in which Democratic Party U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico laid out his support for gun control and an “assault weapons” ban as the closely-watched race enters the final stretch.

In a September 9 interview with NewsNation’s Leland Vittert, Talarico was asked whether he would support a bans on certain semi-automatic firearms and magazines if elected to the Senate. Vittert noted a 2020 video in which Talarico had endorsed an assault weapons ban and large-capacity magazine ban, then asked: “If there was an assault weapons ban or large-capacity magazine ban [in] the Senate, would you vote for it?”

Talarico replied by stating that he would be in favor of such a ban, depending on details. “So, an assault weapons ban is still on the table?” Vittert followed up.

“Absolutely, and I think what most Texans want is a senator who’s going to honor the Second Amendment. I believe that every Texan has a right to bear arms [to] protect themselves and their families. I don’t pick and choose between the amendments in our Constitution, but no amendment is absolute, including the freedom of speech,” the nominee answered. “And so what we need is common sense gun safety measures. And that’s exactly what I worked on in the legislature. That’s exactly what I’m going to work on as U.S. Senator.”

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James talarico says he will "absolutely" vote to take your guns away. #TXsen #2A pic.twitter.com/zRNr15laEO

— Lone Star Liberty PAC (@LoneStar_PAC) October 16, 2026

These statements align with earlier public comments by Talarico. In a September 2020 video meet-and-greet hosted by South Asian American Voter Empowerment Texas, he outlined priorities when asked about specific gun policies.

“I think universal background checks, I think closing the gun show loophole, an assault weapon ban, a large capacity magazine ban, I think restricting large firearm purchases, I think even we should start to think about handgun design safety standards as well. So probably in that order are the things I’m most interested in championing and working on,” he said. Second Amendment advocates have long warned that there is no set definition of “assault weapons,” while several attempted gun bans in predominantly blue states have amounted to bans on the vast majority of semi-automatic rifles.

“A lot of politicians like to talk about the Second Amendment. Very few have actually read the Second Amendment because, if they did, they would know that the words ‘well regulated’ are right there in the text of the amendment itself,” Talarico, who currently serves in the Texas House of Representatives, stated in the same interview.

Talarico’s voting record on firearms legislation includes consistent opposition to measures that expanded or protected carry rights. He voted against House Bill 1177, which allowed constitutional carry of handguns during and after natural disasters, and House Bill 1927, which established
permitless/constitutional carry for eligible adults 21 and older.

Talarico’s other gun control votes include dissent on bills declaring Texas as a Second Amendment sanctuary, recognizing out of state gun licenses, and restricting “no firearms” clauses

In 2019, Talarico authored or introduced bills including House Bill 3508, which would have shifted Texas from a “shall-issue” to a discretionary “may-issue” standard for handgun licenses, and House Bill 3506, addressing recognition of out-of-state licenses for new residents. After the 2022 Uvalde shooting, he co-authored measures such as proposals to raise the age for purchasing certain semi-automatic rifles capable of accepting detachable magazines.

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