Texas State Representative, District 50

James Talarico is a former middle school teacher in San Antonio who has served in the Texas House since 2018, first representing District 52 and later District 50²²³. He holds degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and Harvard and has studied at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary²³. He won the Democratic Senate nomination outright in the March 3, 2026 primary².

Where they stand

• Income taxes: Raise taxes on the highest earners and corporations to pay for programs Said · high confidence
  • Platform calls for higher taxes on billionaires' income and capital gains, a higher corporate tax rate, and a higher tax on stock buybacks, so taxes can be cut for working families and small businesses. (2026) source
• Minimum wage: Raise it to around $15 Said · high confidence
  • Platform calls for raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. (2026) source
  • As a state representative, authored legislation to raise Texas' minimum wage to $15 an hour. (2026) source
• Social Security: Raise the payroll tax cap so high earners pay more; no benefit cuts Said · high confidence
  • Platform pledges to fight cuts to Social Security and Medicare and to apply the Social Security tax to earnings above $400,000 a year. (2026) source
• Safety net programs: Expand help for childcare, housing and paid family leave Said · medium confidence
  • Platform pledges to stand up to attacks on SNAP and WIC and to expand the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax Credit. (2026) source
  • Platform calls for passing paid family leave legislation and expanding access to affordable child care. (2026) source
• Business regulation: Stronger rules on big corporations, banks and tech companies Said · medium confidence
  • Platform calls for stopping corporate landlords from manipulating rents, barring Wall Street from buying up housing, and more oversight of mergers, while repealing outdated red tape on home building. (2026) source
• Healthcare: Add a government plan anyone can buy into (a public option) Said · high confidence
  • Platform calls for letting every American of any age join Medicare as an option that competes with private insurance, and restoring the enhanced ACA tax credits. (2026) source
• Drug prices: Negotiate more drugs and extend the insulin and yearly cost caps to private insurance Said · medium confidence
  • Platform calls for more Medicare negotiating power, caps on out-of-pocket costs for lifesaving drugs, generic drug incentives and regulation of pharmacy benefit managers. (2026) source
  • His campaign says that as a state legislator he helped cap insulin copays at $25 a month and allow Texas to import cheaper prescription drugs from Canada. (2026) source
• Abortion: Legal in most cases up to viability (about 24 weeks) Said · high confidence
  • Platform calls for codifying Roe v. Wade and protecting access to contraception and IVF. (2026) source
  • Voted no on SB 8, the Texas law banning abortion after cardiac activity is detected and allowing private lawsuits. (2021-05-06) source
• Guns: Add universal background checks and red-flag laws Said · medium confidence
  • Platform calls for universal background checks, secure storage requirements around children, and raising the purchase age for semi-automatic rifles with certain military-style features. (2026) source
  • Voted no on HB 1927, the Texas bill allowing permitless carry of handguns. (2021-04-16) source
• Immigration: Tighter border security plus a path to legal status for long-time residents Said · medium confidence
  • Platform calls for securing the border, making it easier to come here legally, prioritizing deportation of criminals, gang members and human traffickers, a path to citizenship for immigrants here longest and for Dreamers and spouses, and temporary work permits for recent arrivals. (2026) source
• Trade and tariffs: Free trade with strong labor and environmental standards Said · medium confidence
  • Platform calls for repealing the Trump administration's broad tariffs and approving trade deals with protections against foreign competitors exploiting weak labor laws. (2026) source
• Foreign policy: Stay closely engaged with allies and alliances like NATO Said · medium confidence
  • Platform calls for deeper cooperation with NATO, the EU and other allies and restoring funding for diplomacy and international development. (2026) source
• Aid to Israel: Keep it, but with conditions on how weapons are used and aid to Gaza Said · medium confidence
  • Platform calls for stopping offensive weapons sales to the Netanyahu government while supporting defensive systems like Iron Dome, with agreements that U.S. funds will not be used to harm civilians. (2026) source
• Aid to Ukraine: Position does not fit our answer choices; see evidence. Said · medium confidence
  • Platform supports measures that let the U.S., Ukraine and European partners negotiate from strength and hold Russia accountable. (2026) source
• Energy and climate: A gradual shift to cleaner energy, driven by incentives Said · low confidence
  • Platform calls for reinstating federal tax credits and loans that accelerate renewable energy, while adding oil, gas, wind, solar, geothermal and hydrogen jobs. (2026) source
  • His campaign says he authored legislation as a state representative to create a Texas Climate Action Act. (2026) source
  • His August 2026 economic plan called for investing in renewable energy and partnering with the oil and gas industry in an all-of-the-above energy approach. (2026-08-05) source
• Politicians trading stocks: No, ban it for members and their spouses Said · high confidence
  • Platform calls for banning members of Congress from trading individual stocks. (2026) source
• Marijuana: Legalize it and clear past convictions Said · high confidence
  • Platform calls for legalizing regulated marijuana for adults and expunging marijuana arrest records. (2026) source
  • Authored a Texas bill to legalize regulated adult marijuana. (2026) source
• Redistricting: Independent commissions draw maps, with a national ban on partisan gerrymandering Said · high confidence
  • Platform calls for banning partisan gerrymandering nationwide and establishing independent redistricting commissions. (2026) source
  • Was one of the House Democrats who left Texas in August 2025 to deny a quorum during mid-decade congressional redistricting; the attorney general asked the Texas Supreme Court to declare his seat vacant. (2025-08) source
• Term limits: Yes, but longer limits that still allow long service, such as 12 years per chamber Said · high confidence
  • Platform calls for term limits of six two-year terms in the House and two six-year terms in the Senate, 12 years in each chamber. (2026) source
• Campaign finance: Overturn Citizens United by amendment and add public financing of campaigns Said · medium confidence
  • Platform calls for reversing the impact of Citizens United, including banning super PACs and corporate PACs. (2026) source
• Supreme Court reform: Add 18-year term limits and an enforceable ethics code, keeping nine seats Said · medium confidence
  • Platform calls for term limits and a binding code of conduct for Supreme Court justices. (2026) source
  • Said he would vote for binding codes of conduct and term limits for justices and that he is open to a discussion about expanding the number of justices. (2026-09-10) source
• Childcare and pre-K: Guarantee low-cost childcare for all families plus universal pre-K Said · medium confidence
  • Platform calls for universal pre-K for every 3- and 4-year-old and strong investments in child care for children under 3. (2026) source
  • His August 2026 economic plan called for passing universal child care and paid family leave. (2026-08-05) source
• Paid leave: Create a national paid family and medical leave program plus paid sick days Said · medium confidence
  • Platform calls for paid family leave legislation so workers can bond with a new child or care for a seriously ill family member. (2026) source
• Kids online: Also require safe-by-default design and a legal duty of care Said · medium confidence
  • Platform calls for giving parents more control over children's social media, prohibiting platforms from targeting minors with algorithms, and reining in platforms' broad legal immunity. (2026) source
• Religion in schools: None from the school: no required displays, prayer periods or Bible lessons Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted no on SB 10, requiring Ten Commandments displays in Texas classrooms. (2025-05-25) source
  • Voted no on SB 11, allowing school boards to adopt daily prayer and Bible reading periods. (2025-05-23) source
  • Platform pledges to reject policies that force religion into neutral public spaces like schools. (2026) source
• DEI programs: Keep them and let each school or agency decide Voted · medium confidence
  • Voted no on SB 17, the 2023 Texas law banning DEI offices at public universities. (2023-05-22) source
• Transgender athletes: Let each state, school or sports body decide Said · medium confidence
  • Voted no on HB 25, requiring Texas public school athletes to compete based on biological sex. (2021-10-14) source
  • Said he will oppose trans athletes playing in girls' sports if it risks safety or fairness, and that he supported amendments in the Legislature to let local communities make these decisions. (2026-09-09) source
• National debt: A mix of spending cuts and tax increases Said · low confidence
  • His August 2026 economic plan called for cutting the national deficit by closing billionaire tax loopholes, cracking down on tax cheats and ending wars in the Middle East. (2026-08-05) source

Said vs. did

• Transgender athletes: Said: On September 9, 2026 he said he will oppose trans athletes playing in girls' sports if it risks safety or fairness²¹. Did: On October 14, 2021 he voted against HB 25, which requires Texas public school students to compete in sports based on biological sex¹⁷; he has said he voted no because the bill was overly broad and amendments to narrow it, including leaving decisions to local school boards, were rejected²¹.

No public position found on: Judges, Electoral College, Death penalty, Qualified immunity, Mandatory minimums, Student loans, AI regulation, School vaccines, Nuclear power, Birthright citizenship, E-Verify mandate, China policy.

Record

• Former sixth grade teacher at Rhodes Middle School in San Antonio²².
• Won a November 2018 special election to the Texas House for District 52; represented District 52 through January 2023 and District 50 since then³.
• His campaign says he helped pass state laws capping insulin copays at $25 a month and allowing Texas to import prescription drugs from Canada⁶.
• Passed Javier Ambler's Law, which bans reality TV filming of Texas police work¹⁰.
• Joined House Democrats in breaking quorum twice over redistricting and voting bills, including in August 2025⁷²⁶.
• Won the March 3, 2026 Democratic Senate primary with 52.4% of the vote over Rep. Jasmine Crockett².
• Certified as the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot¹.