Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico says Paxton-linked transgender attacks are “culture war” tactics

James Talarico, the Texas Democratic Senate candidate, said Monday that Republican attacks on transgender people amount to “culture war fights designed to tear us apart,” criticizing what he described as efforts to target trans Texans during the campaign. Speaking publicly, Talarico said the approach would not help win support and said his campaign would not rely on “selling people out.”

Talarico’s remarks were framed as a response to attacks he attributed to Texas Republican leadership, including actions and messaging linked to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. In the statement reported by The Hill, Talarico characterized those efforts as political tactics aimed at provoking division rather than addressing policy concerns.

The candidate said he and his campaign are “refusing to do that,” adding that the effort is intended as “a campaign of, by and for all Texans.” He presented his message as a contrast to Republicans’ focus on transgender-related controversies, asserting that a different approach is needed to bring people together.

Talarico’s comments also included an argument that political strategies centered on transgender issues do not translate into electoral or governance outcomes. He said his position is that the strategy being used is not one that helps the state or the electorate, while emphasizing his campaign’s intent to reach voters broadly.

While Talarico did not, in the reported account, lay out a specific alternative policy proposal in Monday’s remarks, the criticism tied the dispute to the broader question of how Texas political leaders choose to use state-level authority and public messaging during election season. His characterization of Paxton-linked transgender attacks as divisive “culture war” tactics was presented as the core point of his campaign response.

The Hill reported that Talarico’s comments came in the context of ongoing scrutiny of transgender-related policies and enforcement priorities in Texas, including the political and legal disputes that have accompanied them. In Texas, such issues have frequently been tied to state government positions and the role of the attorney general’s office in defending or advancing contested policies.

Talarico’s characterization of the issue is likely to remain part of the campaign’s public messaging, as Texas elections increasingly hinge on disputes over how state authority is applied to speech, identity, and access to services. The next steps, in the immediate term, appear to be further debate and campaigning rather than an announced court filing or legislative measure in connection with the remarks, based on what was reported.