James Talarico

James Talarico was born in Round Rock, Texas. He graduated from McNeil High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in government from the University of Texas at Austin and a master's degree in education policy from Harvard University. Talarico's career experience includes working as a public school teacher.[1]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I’ve spent my career in public service. I’m a former middle school teacher, Presbyterian seminarian, and a Texas State Representative. As a legislator, I’ve proven that I can pass ambitious legislation to make life better for Texans. I’ve passed 60 bipartisan bills to make Texans lives better including lowering the cost of prescription drugs and expanding child care. I also helped pass the largest property tax cut in Texas history.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Affordability: The real fight in this country isn’t Left vs Right; it’s Top vs Bottom. Right now, the rich are getting richer, and the rest of us are struggling to get by. I am proposing a cost-of-living tax cut that will expand the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit, restore the ACA Tax Credits, and provide a tariff rebate to Americans who have been paying too much for everything. I’ll pay for it by closing tax loopholes and making the wealthiest Americans and giant corporations pay their fair share. I’ll continue lowering costs by cutting red tape so we can build more homes and get new energy projects off the ground — lowering housing and utility prices.Ending Corruption: I believe that if we reform our campaign finance system and increase access to the ballot box, the sky is the limit in terms of what we can do for our communities. As a U.S. Senator, I will prioritize legislation to cap campaign contributions at every level of government, ban dark money groups and super PACs, and ban partisan gerrymandering so that every American has an equal say in our politics and our policymaking.Public Schools: As a former public school teacher, I know that public schools should serve all of our kids. I'm committed to strengthening our schools and fighting back against a national voucher scam that will defund schools to subsidize private education for the wealthiest. To start students off right, I’ll fight for universal early childhood education, including free PreK for every three- and four-year-old, and strong investments in childcare for children under three to ensure childcare is affordable for low- and middle-income families. I’ll prioritize policies that recruit and retain high-quality teachers and graduate students with the tools to make informed decisions about continuing their education or starting their careers.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I’m passionate about fighting corruption and lowering costs. I am proposing a cost-of-living tax cut that will expand the Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit, restore the ACA Tax Credits, and provide a tariff rebate to Americans who have been paying too much for everything. I’ll pay for it by closing tax loopholes and making the wealthiest Americans and giant corporations pay their fair share. I’ll continue lowering costs by cutting red tape so we can build more homes and get new energy projects off the ground — lowering housing and utility prices.

I’ve already delivered major victories to make Texas more affordable, lowering the costs of prescription drugs, early childhood education, and housing.

Campaign websiteTalarico's campaign website stated the following:There’s something broken in America.

Our economy is broken. Our politics are broken. Even our relationships with each other feel broken.

That’s because the most powerful people in the world want it that way.

The biggest divide in this country is not left vs. right. It’s top vs. bottom. Billionaires want us looking left and right at each other instead of looking up at them.

The people at the top work so hard to keep us angry and divided because our unity is a threat to their wealth and power. So their cable news networks and their social media algorithms tear us apart.

They divide us by party, by race, by gender, by religion so we don’t notice they’re defunding our schools, gutting our healthcare, and cutting taxes for themselves and their rich friends. It’s the oldest strategy in the world: divide and conquer.

But we will not be conquered.

We’re underdogs in this fight. We’re going up against these billionaire mega-donors and their puppet politicians. We’re going up against a rigged system. And we’re going up against a lot of money.

But I’m a former middle school teacher — I don’t scare easily. And Texans don’t scare easily.

My granddad was a Baptist preacher in South Texas. He taught me that we follow a barefoot rabbi who gave us two commandments: love God and love neighbor. Because there is no love of God without love of neighbor. Every single person bears the image of the sacred; every single person is holy — not just the neighbors who look like me or pray like me or vote like me.

Those billionaires want to keep us from seeing all that we have in common. They want to keep us from realizing there’s far more that unites us than divides us. Because once we do, we’ll come together — across party, across race, across gender, across religion — to fix what’s broken in our country and take back power for ourselves and our communities.

2,000 years ago, when the powerful few rigged the system, that barefoot rabbi walked into the seat of power and flipped over the tables of injustice. To those who love our country, to those who love our neighbors:

It’s time to start flipping tables.— James Talarico's campaign website (November 14, 2025)Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

Campaign ads

"Ken Paxton's China-Linked Donations EXPOSED" – Talarico campaign ad, released September 22, 2026

"Here's Why" – Talarico campaign ad, released September 14, 2026

"Service" – Talarico campaign ad, released September 11, 2026

"Abrir Puertas" – Talarico campaign ad, released September 10, 2026

"Paxton's Former 'Top Cop' Endorses James Talarico" – Talarico campaign ad, released September 8, 2026

"Most Corrupt" – Talarico campaign ad, released August 29, 2026

"A Los Guerreros" – Talarico campaign ad, released August 25, 2026

"Ken Paxton Steals Pens" – Talarico campaign ad, released August 14, 2026

"PawPaw" – Talarico campaign ad, released August 12, 2026

"Drowning" – Talarico campaign ad, released July 2, 2026

"¡Talaricooooo!" – Talarico campaign ad, released June 13, 2026

"One Team" – Talarico campaign ad, released June 13, 2026

"There is Something Happening in Texas" – Talarico campaign ad, released June 12, 2026

"Meet the Most Corrupt Politician in America" – Talarico campaign ad, released June 11, 2026

"No More" – Talarico campaign ad, released March 1, 2026

"Títere de Nadie" – Talarico campaign ad, released February 20, 2026

"Billionaires" – Talarico campaign ad, released February 5, 2026

"Insulin" – Talarico campaign ad, released January 23, 2026

"¡Vale la pena!" – Talarico campaign ad, released January 21, 2026

"I Don't Scare Easily" – Talarico campaign ad, released January 5, 2026

"I'm running for the U.S. Senate" – Talarico campaign ad, released September 9, 2025

View more ads here:

YouTube

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Representative James Talarico is a former public school teacher and education non-profit leader who was first elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2018. He earned degrees from The University of Texas at Austin and Harvard University. Rep. Talarico currently serves on the Public Education Committee, the Juvenile Justice and Family Issues Committee, and the Calendars Committee and was named one of the Top 10 Best Legislators by Texas Monthly magazine for his accomplishments. During his three terms in office, Rep. Talarico has passed legislation to establish the first-ever cap on pre-K class sizes in Texas, equip schools with Narcan to fight teen overdoses, improve the quality and affordability of childcare, dramatically reduce prescription drug costs, and give incarcerated minors the opportunity to graduate with a high school diploma. He is currently a student at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in addition to his work as a legislator.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I’m a former public school teacher. I taught 45 kids in one classroom, in a school so underfunded we didn’t have enough chairs for all the kids. Changing the education system is what inspired me to run for office in 2018.

I'm proud to have led the fight to defeat Governor Abbott's private school voucher scam in defense of our public schools. I’ve also passed sweeping legislation to reform the school finance system, place the first-ever cap on pre-K class sizes in Texas, improve early childhood education across the state, and fund mental health care in schools.

Healthy students need healthy teachers. That’s why I introduced legislation $15,000 across-the-board teacher pay raise with a 25% raise for school support staff. A giant state deserves giant dreams. We can build an inclusive Texas where every family can get ahead and every community can achieve their fullest potential. We’ve done so much in three terms to move us closer to that dream.

But we have wasted so much time focused on extreme right-wing culture wars. I’ve led the fight against efforts to ban abortion, whitewash our history curriculum, ban books, and force a Christian Nationalist agenda onto the people of Texas.

The community that raised me deserves a Representative that is battle-tested and knows how to stand up to Republican extremism and win. There is much work left to do, and I’m committed to creating a Texas as good as its promise. Health care is a human right. It should be affordable and accessible for every Texan.

I know the failures of our health care system personally. Five years ago, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Even with health insurance, I paid $684 for my first 30-day supply of insulin. I had to put it on a credit card.

That’s why I passed historic legislation capping insulin copays in Texas at $25 per prescription and major legislation to import low-cost prescription drugs from Canada — saving Texans 60-70% on commonly used medications. These are historic progressive wins, but they’re only a step toward our eventual goal: guaranteed healthcare.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I was born in Central Texas to a single mom who fled abuse to protect me. My mom was a fighter and she taught me that Democrats fight for the people; for the many against the powerful few — whether they’re bullies, bigots, or billionaires. That's why I fight for Texans every day in our state Capitol.

​

Over the past three sessions, we have won historic progressive accomplishments on the cost of health care, the quality and affordability of child care, school finance, policing reform, youth justice, the fentanyl crisis, and pet safety. And we’ve proposed bold, progressive legislation on teacher pay, climate change, workers rights, marijuana legalization, gun safety, and more.

Together, we can keep putting people over politics.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job in high school was at our local public library in Wells Branch. The Texas Library Association honored my efforts to stop book banning — in the same library where I used to work. I will always defend our freedom to read.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

The Austin Chronicle

Planned Parenthood Texas Votes

Texas AFL-CIO COPE

Sierra Club

Austin Tejano Democrats

Pflugerville Area Democrats

Mothers Against Greg Abbott

Black Austin Democrats

Austin Young Democrats

Stonewall Democrats of Austin

Texas AFT COPE

Texas State Teachers Association

Northeast Travis County Democrats

Texas State Employees Union

Progressive Hispanic Democrats

University Democrats

Capital Area Progressive Democrats

Texas Democrats with Disabilities

NxNW Democrats

Austin Environmental Democrats

Liberal Austin Democrats

Central Austin Democrats

Emgage PAC

Texas College Democrats

AFSCME Texas Retirees Chapter 12

AFSCME Texas Correctional Employees Council 907

What committees interest you?

I am proud to have served on the Public Education Committee, the Juvenile Justice and Family Issues Committee, the Select Committee on Educational Opportunity and Enrichment, and the Calendars Committee

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Representative James Talarico is a former public school teacher first elected to serve in the Texas House of Representatives in 2018. He attended Wells Branch Elementary School, graduated from McNeil High School, and still worships at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. Rep. Talarico earned degrees from The University of Texas at Austin and Harvard University before teaching middle school on the West Side of San Antonio. He currently serves as the youngest member of the Texas Legislature, sitting on the Public Education Committee, the Juvenile Justice and Family Issues Committee, and the Calendars Committee.

During his two terms in office, Rep. Talarico has passed historic progressive legislation including the most significant reform to the state’s school finance system in 20 years, the first-ever cap on pre-K class sizes in Texas, a ban on reality TV policing, a sweeping bill to improve early childhood education across the state, a policy to open up millions in funds for social-emotional learning programs, a cap on insulin copays, and a law requiring all incarcerated minors in Texas be given the opportunity to graduate with a high school diploma. For these accomplishments, Talarico was named one of the Top 10 Best Legislators by Texas Monthly magazine.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

A giant state deserves giant dreams. We can build an inclusive Texas where every family can get ahead and every community can achieve their fullest potential. We’ve done so much in two terms to move us closer to that dream—from reforming school finance to capping insulin costs to banning reality TV policing. But our achievements have led Texas Republicans to target me in the redistricting process. They tried to gerrymander me out, but I won’t go away that easily. The community that raised me deserves a Representative that is battle-tested and knows how to fight Republicans and win. There is much work left to do, and I’m committed to creating a Texas as good as its promise.I’m a former public school teacher. I taught 45 kids in one classroom, in a school so underfunded we didn’t have enough chairs for all the kids. Changing the education system to help students like mine is what inspired me to run for office in 2018. In addition to proposing a minimum teacher salary of $70k, I have passed sweeping legislation to reform the school finance system, place the first-ever cap on pre-K class sizes in Texas, improve early childhood education across the state, fund mental health care in schools, disrupt the school to prison pipeline, and require all incarcerated minors in Texas be given the opportunity to graduate with a high school diploma.Health care is a human right. It should be affordable and accessible for every Texan. I know the failures of our health care system personally. Three years ago, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Even with health insurance, I paid $684 for my first 30-day supply of insulin. I had to put it on a credit card. In the last 20 years, pharmaceutical companies have increased the price of insulin 1200%. Putting profits over people has deadly consequences. And in the richest country in the world, 1 in 4 diabetics risk their lives by rationing their insulin. That’s why I passed legislation capping insulin copays in Texas at $25 per prescription. It’s a historic progressive win, but it’s only a step toward our eventual goal—guaranteed healthcare.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

If I am re-elected to serve in the Texas House of Representatives, my top priorities will be to continue organizing for a high quality and equitable education for all of our children as-well-as affordable and accessible health care for all Texans. These foundational issues have been overshadowed by endless Republican culture wars for too long. After a year filled with extremist right-wing legislating, I will continue being a vocal opponent to this harmful agenda while pushing for common sense policies from the expansion of Medicaid to increased state funding for public schools.

I also commit to holding our government accountable and working towards a budget that does not pay for the COVID-19 pandemic off the backs of our children or working-class Texans, but one that increases the state minimum wage and ensures equal pay for equal work for all Texans. We can rebuild the Texas economy by providing well-paying, safe jobs for Texans who need them.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Representative James Talarico is a former education non-profit leader and public school teacher elected to serve House District 52 in the Texas House of Representatives. He was born in Williamson County, where he attended Round Rock ISD schools and graduated from McNeil High School. Rep. Talarico earned his bachelor's degree in Government from The University of Texas at Austin and his master's degree in Education Policy from Harvard University. Upon graduation, Rep. Talarico taught at 6th grade Rhodes Middle School on the Westside of San Antonio. He later became the Central Texas Executive Director of a nonprofit dedicated to equipping classrooms with innovative technology. He currently serves as the youngest member of the Texas Legislature, sitting on both the Public Education Committee and the Juvenile Justice and Family Issues Committee. In his first term, Rep. Talarico helped write historic school finance reform legislation that infused Texas schools with $11.6 billion in new education funding. Outside of his role as a legislator, Rep. Talarico is an education consultant, crafting and implementing education solutions across Texas.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I'm a proud Democrat who works with Republicans and Independents to put people over politics.As a former teacher, I'm deeply committed to ensuring educational equity for our kids and educators. Particularly now, we will need to protect the commitment we made to our schools and educators for additional funding and support through HB 3, the first major overhaul in our state's school finance system since before I was in Kindergarten. While HB 3 was a big step towards quality school finance reform, the work is not done. How our state will keep students and educators safe and healthy in the upcoming school year and meet every child's educational need are challenges we will need to face in the upcoming session and I'm committed to do all I can to continue improving our education system for ALL students.Healthcare should be affordable for every Texan. The best way to reduce our state's high uninsured rate is by expanding Medicaid, but the Texas Legislature refuses to accept billions of our own federal tax dollars available to expand health coverage. That's putting politics over people. Last session, I supported an amendment that would have expanded Medicaid in our state. Though this amendment did not pass, I will continue to work for expanded access to affordable healthcare for Texans. Additionally, we need to vastly expand preventative care, meaning ensuring yearly check-ups and basic health needs are affordable even for poorer communities.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Texas has always been a state of opportunity, but today's broken political system is undermining our future. From the White House to the State House, our leaders often choose short-term pandering over long-term planning. Irresponsible politics is keeping us from moving forward.

Short-sighted decisions at the State Capitol hurt middle-class families in Williamson County. Families, like yours and mine, are paying more for less - for our schools, for our roads, and for our healthcare. From Round Rock to Taylor, we want our state government to get back to basics.

We need leaders who are focused on building a future where every Williamson County family can get ahead. As a Round Rock native, a former public school teacher, and your State Representative, I'm committed to that future. In this campaign, and throughout my service to the great people of House District 52, we'll be honest about the real work it will take to get us there.

With your help, we can model common sense in our State Capitol and craft responsible policies. We can value Texans of all backgrounds and beliefs. We can respect local communities and the decisions they make for themselves. We can invest in our people and grow our economy. We can build an inclusive Texas where every family can achieve their fullest potential. We worked diligently to accomplish all of these things during the 86th Legislative Session, but we aren't done yet, and we need to keep working for a state that supports every Texan.