Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico said he «missed the mark» on several of his most controversial past statements, using a Fox News exclusive interview to walk back claims that there are six genders and that «God is non-binary» while endorsing a national ban on gender surgery for minors.
The remarks came as the Texas Senate race, which recent polling shows is surprisingly close, enters its final months. The contest is considered critical to both parties' chances of securing a Senate majority, and a Republican loss in Texas would significantly affect President Donald Trump's ability to implement his agenda.
Talarico, who is facing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, spoke with Fox News at a food drive campaign event in Dallas on Tuesday. The event took place as the first-ever GOP midterm convention kicked off just miles away in downtown Dallas.
Asked whether he would vote as a U.S. senator in favor of a national ban on gender surgery for minors, Talarico answered, «Absolutely.» He said he has been consistent on the issue, explaining that his opposition to a Texas bill banning transgender surgeries on minors stemmed from the measure being «overly broad.»
«If you go back and check, I voted for a major amendment to limit the bill to banning surgeries for minors,» he said. «As a lawmaker, my job is to try to sift through everything the bill does. And sometimes there's stuff in it that's really harmful, and I have no choice but to oppose the bill as a whole.»
He added that he tries to use amendments to narrow the focus of legislation so it does exactly what lawmakers intend. In 2023, as a member of the Texas House of Representatives, Talarico voted against SB 14, which prohibited certain gender surgery, puberty blockers and certain hormone treatments for minors. Democrats proposed 18 amendments to the bill, all of which Talarico supported and all of which ultimately failed.
On the issue of transgender athletes, Talarico acknowledged that men in women's sports is a significant issue in Texas. «I oppose trans athletes playing in girls' sports if it endangers safety or fairness,» he said. «Every sport has to be safe and fair. As a former public school teacher, I care a lot about our student athletes. I care a lot about our students. And so, I will oppose trans athletes playing in girls' sports if it risks safety or fairness.»
Talarico also addressed perhaps his most controversial statement, made in 2021 while opposing a Texas bill to keep men out of women's sports. On the state House floor, he said that «God is both masculine and feminine and everything in between. God is non-binary.»
«I was being provocative with that statement. I get that,» Talarico admitted, explaining that he was trying to say human categories cannot define God and that this is not theologically controversial. Regarding his past comment about more than two genders, he said he does not currently believe there are six sexes.
«I've missed the mark on some of my past statements. I will be the first to admit it,» he said. «What I meant is that there are two sexes, and then there's a small percentage of people with genetic abnormalities.» He added that he «obviously didn't say it correctly» and that there are not six sexes, but two. He suggested that politicians at the convention center across the street want to talk about six sexes because they do not want to talk about «$6 diesel.»
Despite walking back those controversies, Talarico did not hold back on his criticism of the Supreme Court, which he described as «infected» with corruption and said «needs to be overhauled.» He said that if elected, voters can expect him to vote for an overhaul that includes binding codes of conduct for justices and term limits, and that he is open to a discussion about expanding the number of justices.
Following the controversies, Talarico pledged to keep his message focused on affordability for the remainder of the campaign. «Everywhere I go across the state of Texas, people are struggling to survive in this economy. They are struggling to afford the basics: groceries, gas, utilities, healthcare. And that's what I'm going to be focused on from now until Election Day,» he said.
On affordability, Talarico said Texas «should not have a state income tax,» despite having previously voted against a measure to permanently ban a state income tax. He suggested the measure was redundant and an example of «government waste at its worst.» The measure was ultimately passed by the Texas Legislature and approved by Texas voters in November 2019.
Talarico also criticized Paxton, calling him «the most corrupt politician in Texas» and saying Paxton will try to use his past comments to distract from that record. Fox News Digital reached out to the Paxton campaign for a response.