Democrat U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico released his first major ad buy of the general election and it contains some of the biggest lies that he’s told yet.
.@jamestalarico leans into affordability for his first 7-figure general election ad buy:https://t.co/oTgB490M0J
— Adam Wren (@adamwren) June 22, 2026
The 30 second ad attempts to tout Talarico’s “record” on promoting affordability for Texans after he “brought both parties together,” but his voting history and past statements reveal a deeper story about his desire to thwart common-sense initiatives championed by his Republican colleagues. The ad buy is said to be in the seven figures and will be featured in the major Texas metro areas.
One claim made by Talarico is that he was a central figure in passing the “largest property tax cut in history” in 2023’s SB 2 landmark legislation, but Talarico decided against co-sponsoring the bill despite 18 of his Democrat colleagues choosing to do so. Talarico likewise voted against 2019’s SB 2 property tax measure that placed restrictions on local governments from implementing sharp tax-hikes without voter approval.
Low property taxes aren’t the only affordability issue that he’s worked against. Talarico has shown militant opposition to the Working Families Tax Cuts that offered the largest lowering of taxes in a generation. He called the legislation “deeply immoral,” labeled it the “Big Ugly Bill,” and stated that those who advanced it “need to pay a price at the ballot box.”
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The Working Families Tax Cuts aspect of President Donald Trump’s affordability agenda that Talarico despises resulted in an up to $10,700 increase in take-home pay for Texas residents, saved over 500,000 jobs in the state, gave a larger Child Tax Credit to more than 3.5 million Texan families, and increased the standard deduction for 12 million Texans.
Talarico’s lengthy voting record shows exactly why he opposes tax reductions. Talarico opposed a 2019 ban on state income tax, voted against a 2023 ban on a Texas wealth tax, refused to vote on a 2025 effort to ban taxes on unrealized capital gains and then voted against a ban on death taxes soon after, and is actively campaigning on raising the corporate tax rate.
Even Talarico’s claims about combatting corruption don’t stand up to modest scrutiny when viewed through the lens of his legislative activity. Just one year ago, Talarico voted against a bill to end no-bid lobbying contracts for local governments while actively receiving tens of thousands of dollars for working as a contractor for a far-left DEI public education contractor.
His corruption issues stem far further than his voting record, however. Previous reporting from Townhall revealed discrepancies in the timeline provided by Talarico for his romantic relationship with a former chief of staff. Statements provided by Talarico and a Texas House colleague suggest that the legislator began dating his own staffer while she was in his employ. Talarico had also maintained a previous staffer in the Texas Capitol while working as an elected official.
Talarico’s anti-affordability history will face off against that of close Trump-ally Ken Paxton in the midterm elections come November.
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