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James Talarico

Democratic · TX · Texas State Representative, District 50

Official website

James Talarico is the 2026 Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas, a state representative from the Austin area since 2019 and a former public-school teacher and seminary student known for viral education- and faith-themed floor speeches. He won the May 2026 Democratic Senate primary and faces Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in November.

Campaign Finance Information — United States Senator

Campaign Finance Information · United States Senator · November 3, 2026

Data last updated July 24, 2026

Raised
$68,555,930
Spent
$47,007,775
Cash on hand
$21,548,155
Debts
$0

Top disclosed occupations of direct donors

  • NOT EMPLOYED$13,545,319
  • ATTORNEY$2,711,252
  • RETIRED$2,259,042
  • PHYSICIAN$1,016,776
Show 1 more
  • CEO$485,855

Source: FEC · 2026 cycle · fec.gov

Track record

Healthcare Affordability

· 2 records

  • Authored 2023 legislation establishing a Texas wholesale prescription-drug importation program intended to obtain lower-cost eligible drugs from Canadian suppliers, effective September 1, 2023.

    September 1, 2023For

    Source: capitol.texas.gov · researched July 12, 2026

  • Authored legislation enacted in 2021 that established Texas's first monthly insulin copay cap for covered health plans, later described by the Texas House as a $25 monthly cap.

    September 1, 2021For

    Source: house.texas.gov · researched July 12, 2026

Social Programs and Welfare

· 1 record

  • As a state representative and former public-school teacher, was a leading opponent of Senate Bill 2, the 2025 school-voucher (education savings account) law, authoring a failed floor amendment to send the program to voters and arguing it diverted billions from neighborhood public schools.

    April 17, 2025For

    Source: texastribune.org · researched July 3, 2026

Civil Rights

· 1 record

  • As a state representative, led House opposition to Senate Bill 1515 (2023), which would have required the Ten Commandments displayed in every public-school classroom, calling it unconstitutional and "deeply un-Christian" and grounding his church-state-separation argument in his own Christian faith.

    May 9, 2023For

    Source: christianpost.com · researched July 3, 2026

Elections

Profile last researched July 3, 2026.