Key Takeaways:
- James Talarico – a Texas state representative and Presbyterian seminary student – recently defeated Jasmine Crocket in a Democratic Senate primary.
- Talarico claims to be a Christian, but his theological and political views differ greatly from conservative Christianity – especially regarding abortion, LGBTQ issues and transgenderism.
- Political and media environments make it difficult for voters to understand the true beliefs of political candidates.
- Beware of “wolves in sheep’s clothing.”
- Universalism – which Talarico’s view of truth reflects – is unbiblical and incompatible with New Testament Christianity.
Deception is everywhere.
Especially in politics and in the media – both the Establishment media and social media.
Discernment is rare.
Especially among those who believe in God.
This results in many conservative voters being deceived.
Many Democrats over the years have positioned themselves as Christians – in some cases Evangelicals – only to deceive conservatives into voting for them.
Republicans, Independents, conservatives and Christians need a large dose of discernment to be able to evaluate a candidate’s statements of faith.
Case in point for 2026: James Talarico, Texas state representative now running for the U.S. Senate.
Talarico – a Presbyterian seminary student – recently defeated Jasmine Crockett in a Democrat senatorial primary.
He will face either John Cornyn or Ken Paxton for one of Texas’ two U.S. Senate seats in November.
Jasmine Crockett’s rhetoric and political positions are well-known.
She has represented the 30th congressional district of the state of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2023.
An ultra “progressive” Far Left Democrat, Crockett has been a thorn in the side of President Trump and of conservative Republicans for 3 years.
They are happy that she won’t become the first “blue” Senator from Texas in 30 years.
But James Talarico — who claims to be a Christian — is actually more radical than Jasmine Crockett.
He is a member of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and is working toward a Master of Divinity degree at Austin Theological Seminary.
But his personal beliefs are far from those of the Presbyterian Church — and even farther from what is taught in the ancient Hebrew and Greek scriptures.
He is the epitome of a wolf in sheep’s clothing for those who believe in the God of Scripture.
Here are 7 deceptive beliefs you need to know about James Talarico.
- He believes Jesus was a feminist in the modern definition of the term.
Talarico bases this belief on a quote attributed to Jesus from the discredited mid-second century Gospel of Thomas:
“When you make the male and female one and the same; when the male is not male and the female is not female, then you will enter the Kingdom of God.”[1]
The Gospel of Thomas is not a coherent narrative like the 4 gospels of the New Testament.
It contains 114 secret “sayings” attributed to Jesus after his resurrection.
But they are laced with Gnosticism — the first major heresy the early church faced.
Hippolytus of Rome and Origen — two church fathers who were born in the second century — both spoke negatively of the Gospel of Thomas.
Eusebius — a fourth century church historian — said the church rejected it as “absurd, impious, and heretical fictions.”[2]
- He believes in abortion for ‘our neighbors with a uterus.’
During an interview on the Joe Rogan podcast last year, Talarico claimed that when Mary “consented” to the Angel Gabriel’s announcement that she would become pregnant through the Holy Spirit, it meant that God is pro-choice.[3]
Apparently he thinks Mary could have said no — or could have aborted Jesus if she had found herself pregnant against her will.
He also told Joe Rogan that:
- Genesis 2:7 teaches that life begins with breath.
- The Old Testament prescribes a potion to induce an abortion in Numbers 5:11-31.
These passages supposedly justify late-term abortions.
However, in Luke 1:39-41, Elizabeth — who was six months pregnant with John the Baptist — told Mary that when she greeted her, the baby leaped in her womb.
And the Numbers 5 passage describes a truth test that was given to a woman suspected of committing adultery if she denied the accusation.
Pregnancy isn’t mentioned in the passage.
- He believes God is non-binary.
In 2021, Talarico opposed a Texas bill requiring students to play on sports teams that aligned with their biology.
He warned that such a requirement would cause trans students to commit suicide.
He said in a speech in the Texas House, “God is both male and female and everything in between; God is non-binary.”[4]
He bases this Gnostic idea on the Hebrew word “ruach” used in Genesis 1:2 to describe the spirit of God.
The word is feminine in its grammatical gender.
The same word is used to describe the spirit of Pharaoh in Genesis 41:8 and the spirit of Jacob in Genesis 45:27.
Talarico insisted that modern science has determined there are 6 biological sexes…
But later he clarified that he was referring to chromosomal disorders that deviate from the normal XX and XY.[5]
Talarico is not alone when he defends homosexuality and abortion by saying that Jesus never spoke about those topics.
Robert Gagnon — Visiting Scholar at Wesley Biblical Seminary in Mississippi — dismisses the “approval by silence” argument as “juvenile hermeneutics.”[6]
- He believes that ‘whiteness’ carries the virus of racism.
Blacks, he says, are “killed by the virus of racism.”[7]
“The virus kills our black neighbors if they’re jogging, playing music, sitting in church, selling CDs, or carrying a bag of Skittles.”[8]
“White skin gives me and every white American immunity from the virus. But we spread it wherever we go — through our words, our actions and our systems.”[9]
He also said, “The only cure is diagnosing the virus within ourselves and taking dramatic actions to contain the spread.”[10]
- He believes that some atheists are more Christ-like than Christians because of their attitude toward transgenderism.
Talarico loves transgender kids.[11]
He interprets God saying, “Let us make man in our image” in Genesis 1:26 as follows:
“That’s the infinite multitude of God, the masculine, the feminine, and everything in between. Trans children are God’s children, made in God’s own image. There’s nothing wrong with them, nothing at all. They are perfect, they are beautiful, and they are sacred.”[12]
So in his view, those who support hormone therapies, puberty blockers and gender transition surgeries for minors are more “Christ-like” than Christians who would deny what he calls “life-saving health care” for trans children.[13]
In a podcast interview with journalist Al Hunt, Talarico said:
“I have met so many Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, Jews, Muslims, atheists, agnostics who are more Christ-like than some of the Christians I serve with in the Texas Legislature. It is about how you treat other people.”[14]
In speaking against a Texas bill aimed to display the 10 Commandments in Texas public schools in 2023, Talarico said:
“Instead of putting the 10 Commandments in every classroom, instead of forcing school children to read the Bible against their wills, why don’t we, all of us, look inward and figure out how we can be more Christ-like, even when it’s uncomfortable?”[15]
He labeled the posting of the 10 Commandments “idolatrous.”[16]
- He believes that Jesus was making a political statement against injustice when he cleansed the temple, and that he should follow Jesus’ example in his politics.
During his victory speech after defeating Jasmine Crockett in the Senate primary, Talarico said:
“Two thousand years ago, when the powerful few at the top hurt those at the bottom, that barefoot rabbi didn’t stay in His room and pray. He walked into the seat of power and flipped over the tables of injustice.”[17]
Then he said, “It’s time to start flipping tables!”[18]
He likens his role in politics – and the role of his supporters – as the equivalent of Jesus clearing out the moneychangers and the merchants from the temple courtyard.
- He believes in universalist theology.
In an interview with New York Times columnist Ezra Klein, Talarico said that all religions contain “the same truth” as Christianity.[19]
Universalism is not a denomination of Christianity.
It is clearly not Biblical and is not at all compatible with the Christianity of the New Testament.[20]
What do you think? Email me at [email protected]
Action Items:
- Pray for discernment for voters in Texas – and for voters nationwide – that they would not be deceived by false labels used by politicians.
- Get my book The Christian Voter: 7 Non-Negotiables for Voting For, Not Against, Your Values. Click HERE to order the book online.
You can order the book on Amazon HERE.
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FAQs:
- Who is James Talarico?
A. James Talarico is a Texas state representative and a student at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary working toward a Master of Divinity degree. He identifies as a Christian and is active in Democratic politics in Texas. - What does the phrase “Beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing” mean?
A. The phrase refers to people who present themselves as believers while promoting beliefs or policies inconsistent with biblical Christianity. - What are some of Talarico’s non-Christian beliefs?
A. He believes the Bible affirms abortion, that God is multi-gender, that there is nothing wrong with trans-gender kids and that they are perfect the way they are. - What is Universal theology, and why is it incompatible with Christianity?
A. Universalism is the belief that truth and salvation can be found in multiple religions.
About Craig Huey:
Craig Huey is a longtime direct-response marketing strategist and publisher who focuses on the intersection of faith, politics, culture, and economic freedom. He is president of ElectionForum.org and the founder of Creative Direct Marketing Group (CDMG), where his team has tested thousands of marketing variables and earned more than 100 industry awards. Craig publishes commentary at CraigHuey.com and co-hosts media projects that equip Americans to understand what’s happening—and what to do next.
[1] Jon Brown, https://www.christianpost.com/news/top-6-theological-takes-from-senate-candidate-james-talarico.html?page=2
[2] Ibid.
[3] Jon Brown, https://www.christianpost.com/news/top-6-theological-takes-from-senate-candidate-james-talarico.html?page=3
[4] Jon Brown, https://www.christianpost.com/news/top-6-theological-takes-from-senate-candidate-james-talarico.html?page=4
[5] Ibid.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Jon Brown, https://www.christianpost.com/news/top-6-theological-takes-from-senate-candidate-james-talarico.html?page=5
[8] Ibid.
[9] Ibid.
[10] Ibid.
[11] Jason Cohen, https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/03/09/james-talarico-asked-who-he-loved-besides-friends-and-family-his-answer-trans-kids/
[12] Tyler O’Neil, https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/03/04/democrat-who-claims-bible-supports-transgenderism-wont-even-honor-gods-preferred-pronouns/
[13] Jason Cohen, op. cit.
[14] Jon Brown, https://www.christianpost.com/news/texas-james-talarico-claims-atheist-colleagues-more-christ-like.html
[15] Jon Brown, https://www.christianpost.com/news/top-6-theological-takes-from-senate-candidate-james-talarico.html?page=6
[16] Ibid.
[17] Jon Brown, https://www.christianpost.com/news/top-6-theological-takes-from-senate-candidate-james-talarico.html?page=7
[18] Ibid.
[19] Jon Brown, https://www.christianpost.com/news/top-6-theological-takes-from-senate-candidate-james-talarico.html?page=6
[20] https://www.gotquestions.org/universalism.html