Texas Democrat James Talarico faces scrutiny and hires GOP staffer

Texas Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico is facing significant political scrutiny following the resurfacing of a 2025 video in which he characterized Bible-related school curriculum as ‘indoctrination’ and ‘deeply immoral.’ Critics argue his comments misrepresent educational standards intended to teach biblical influence on American history and literature.

In a separate political development, Talarico has hired Jacob Smith, a longtime aide to Republican Senator John Cornyn, as his campaign’s deputy policy director. Smith, who served five years as Cornyn’s deputy legislative director and policy adviser, cited concerns over the integrity of Republican nominee Ken Paxton as a reason for his defection.

The staffing move occurs in a highly competitive race following the Republican primary runoff, where Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated incumbent Senator Cornyn. The election is viewed as a critical contest for a seat that has not been held by a Democrat since 1988.