In the high-stakes political landscape of Texas, Republican leaders have set their sights on Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico. With the crucial May 26 runoff between Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn looming, Talarico emerges as a formidable figure for Democrats, hailed as a potential game-changer who might finally break the 32-year Republican hold on the state’s Senate seat.
Central to the Republican critique of Talarico are his positions on crime and border security. While he has publicly stated his support for border security measures and the arrest of criminal elements, his past comments and legislative actions suggest otherwise to his critics. On the campaign trail, Talarico often emphasizes community-oriented rhetoric, which some interpret as overly lenient, peppered with criticisms of immigration enforcement agencies and concerns over civil liberties.
Republicans are particularly focusing on Talarico’s absence during a pivotal vote in 2025 concerning “Jocelyn’s Law.” This proposed amendment to the Texas constitution aimed to deny bail to violent illegal immigrants charged with felonies. The bill ultimately failed due to a lack of bipartisan backing, a point of contention that Republicans are eager to highlight in their critique of Talarico.
The discussion around “Jocelyn’s Law” was underscored by horrifying incidents, such as the kidnapping, rape, and murder of 12-year-old Nungaray in June 2024 by two illegal immigrants, and the murder of 22-year-old Georgia nursing student Laken Riley earlier that year. These tragic events played a significant role in the 2024 presidential election, drawing national attention to the challenges at the Southern border.
Talarico’s legislative maneuvers prior to the decisive vote also draw scrutiny. He was present to oppose Republican efforts to eliminate amendments that would grant certain exemptions to illegal immigrants, even those accused of violent crimes, further fueling Republican criticisms of his stance on public safety and immigration.
ICE should be hunting down human traffickers, not moms and babies. pic.twitter.com/zOSbfusNAj
— James Talarico (@jamestalarico) November 17, 2025
Now the Republicans are going back to 2025, when Talarico missed the key vote in the state House on “Jocelyn’s Law.” This bill would have added an amendment to the Texas constitution to deny bail to violent illegal immigrants who are charged with a felony. Because it lacked bipartisan support, the bill failed.
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico is being ripped by critics accusing him of making a “disgusting” decision to be absent during a vote on a Texas bill to automatically deny bail to illegal immigrants charged with violent felonies after a local preteen was strangled to death.
As a member of the Texas House of Representatives in 2025, Talarico was absent during the final voting on a bill dubbed by state lawmakers “Jocelyn’s Law,” in honor of slain Houston preteen Jocelyn Nungaray. The measure, which would have added a Texas constitutional amendment to deny bail to illegal immigrants charged with violent felonies, ended up failing due to lack of bipartisan support.
Twelve-year-old Nungaray was kidnapped, raped, and murdered by two illegal aliens in June 2024, and along with the murder and rape of 22-year-old Georgia nursing student Laken Riley in February 2024, these tragic deaths were flashpoints in the 2024 presidential campaign and brought greater attention to the criminal illegals flooding across our Southern border.
Talarico’s actions before the final vote were telling. Talarico managed to be available to vote down Republicans who wanted to kill amendments to the bill which favored giving exemptions to illegal aliens under certain circumstances — even the violent ones.
But Talarico didn’t bother to be there for the vote on the full bill, giving credence to the criticisms currently being lodged against him.
Before being absent for the final vote, Talarico voted against killing two amendments to the bill that would have exempted immigrants present in the country on humanitarian parole, an order of supervision, a pending green card application, trafficking or Violence Against Women Act victim protections, visa extension applications, deferred action or Temporary Protected Status.
WATCH: Ted Cruz Gives Passionate Speech, Remembers Victims of Biden-Harris Open Border Policy
Zach Kraft, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee, slammed Talarico for what he said amounts to helping to kill the bill, saying, “It is disgusting that James Talarico is letting his anti-American agenda show by siding with a violent illegal over a Texas family.”
Kraft told Fox News Digital that Talarico’s alleged opposition to the bill has “once again … proven his priority is criminals, not the safety of Texans.”
Gov. Greg Abbott (R) also slammed Talarico for his vote and for campaigning on law and order while spouting anti-police rhetoric and being more amenable to criminal illegals than vulnerable American women and girls.
James Talarico was absent when it mattered most.
When Texas lawmakers voted on Jocelyn’s Law — named for a 12-year-old Houston girl sexually assaulted and strangled by illegal immigrants — Talarico was a no-show.
Before that, he voted against the Damon Allen Act — against…
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) May 13, 2026
James Talarico was absent when it mattered most.
When Texas lawmakers voted on Jocelyn’s Law — named for a 12-year-old Houston girl sexually assaulted and strangled by illegal immigrants — Talarico was a no-show.
Before that, he voted against the Damon Allen Act — against bail restrictions for violent sexual offenders. And called illegal immigrants “my constituents.”
Jocelyn Nungaray’s family deserved better. Texas deserves better.
Talarico can run for U.S. Senate. But he can’t run from his record.
Talarico’s campaign clapped back against the Republicans’ allegations that this missed vote indicated their candidate was soft on crime.
JT Ennis, a spokesperson for Talarico’s campaign, pushed back on this, telling Fox News Digital that “James is a law and order Democrat who supports prosecuting violent felons, and has a proven track record voting for tighter bail laws for violent offenders and voting repeatedly to increase funding for Texas police.”
Talarico himself was too busy to respond, as he was kissing the ring of the titular head of the Democrat Party. On Tuesday, former President Barack Obama decided to swoop into Austin to give a boost to Talarico and Gina Hinojosa, the Democrat gubernatorial candidate.
Former President Barack Obama appeared alongside U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico and gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa in Austin on Tuesday as part of an attempt to boost a new crop of Democratic candidates ahead of this year’s midterm elections.
The appearance was not a formal endorsement, but Obama introduced the two candidates to a crowd of awestruck lunch-goers at a taco restaurant east of the University of Texas as “the next senator and governor of Texas.” Democrats haven’t won a statewide contest in Texas in 32 years.
Thank you for coming to Texas, Mr. President. pic.twitter.com/nhkFTviWiW
— James Talarico (@jamestalarico) May 12, 2026
Talarico, Hinojosa, and Obama were all smiles as they pressed the flesh with the hoi polloi:
Former President Barack Obama appeared alongside U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico and gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa on Tuesday in Austin as part of an attempt to boost a new crop of Democratic candidates. pic.twitter.com/Oikl92n4z6
— San Antonio Express-News (@ExpressNews) May 13, 2026
And ordered tacos for lunch.
Thank you for lunch, @BarackObama! pic.twitter.com/qoZlhy4pKC
— James Talarico (@jamestalarico) May 13, 2026
Obama and James Talarico. 🙌💪👏✊️👇 pic.twitter.com/6VuDoGwniJ
— Bill Madden (@maddenifico) May 13, 2026
Talarico’s campaign cast shade on both Paxton and Cornyn, saying they are lying about Talarico’s record.
Ennis added that “while [incumbent Sen.] John Cornyn, [challenger Texas Attorney General] Ken Paxton, and the billionaires who prop them up lie about James’ record, he will continue standing up against both political parties to fix this broken, corrupt political system.”
Of course, it’s kind of hard to pretend to fight the power and spout about corruption and billionaires when you’re riding with four-mansion Obama, whose questionable and potentially corrupt decisions that he made as president have come to light. Obama is suffering defeat himself. He was the face that advocated hard for the Virginia Democrat ballot initiative that was effectively torched by the Virginia Supreme Court, which ruled on Friday that the process state Democrats used to put their gerrymander referendum on the ballot was a violation of Virginia’s Constitution. So, Obama’s support and any endorsement could well be the kiss of death for Talarico.
In the meantime, they are working hard to create a blue wave and break that 32-year losing streak.
Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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