Vance Targets Talarico Over Gender and Religious Views at Texas GOP Convention
DALLAS, Texas — Vice President JD Vance targeted Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico over his past comments about gender and Christianity while rallying Texas Republicans behind Republican candidate Ken Paxton at the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention in Dallas.
Talarico, a Texas state representative, is running against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Sen. John Cornyn, who is retiring.
Vance Mocks Talarico’s Comments on Gender
Vance criticized Talarico over past remarks concerning gender and religion, including comments attributed to Talarico about there being six genders and God being nonbinary.
Vance also criticized Talarico over his views on transgender issues and made a joke about the Democrat’s web browser history.
The remarks came after Talarico recently walked back some of his earlier statements. In a Fox News interview, Talarico said he had “missed the mark” with some past comments and said he opposed transgender athletes competing in girls’ sports when it could threaten safety or fairness.
Vance Urges Republicans to Turn Out in November
Vance also urged Republicans to turn out for the November midterm elections and emphasized the importance of maintaining Republican control of Congress.
“We gotta take care of business this November,” Vance told the convention, according to The Associated Press.
His appearance came as national Republicans have increased their focus on the Texas Senate race. Trump-aligned MAGA Inc. has committed $10 million to advertising in the race, highlighting the growing national attention surrounding the contest.
The Texas Senate race has drawn increased attention as Talarico seeks to challenge Paxton in a state where Republicans have traditionally performed strongly in statewide elections.