As Texas’ U.S. Senate race continues to gain national attention, Democrat candidate James Talarico is facing fresh scrutiny. New reporting puts a spotlight on Talarico’s church and the various progressive and, in many cases, controversial causes it supports.
The Church
The Daily Wire uncovered St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Austin directs a portion of its annual budget to “support community organizations that share our vision and goals for the world.”
Those “community organizations” include abortion provider Planned Parenthood and a project called “Field of Hope,” which directs funds to groups like the Lilith Fund and Jane’s Due Process that pay to facilitate out-of-state travel for women – many of whom are minors – to get abortions.
The church’s view on abortion is seemingly in line with Talarico’s own. He has spoken out about how his support for the issue is grounded in the biblical account of the Angel Gabriel visiting the Virgin Mary and telling her that she would miraculously conceive and give birth to Jesus Christ.
St. Andrew’s also supports a group called Out Youth Austin, which, The Daily Wire reported, offers a summer camp for kids between the ages of 11 and 17 who identify as gay or transgender. On its website, the organization claims recent unspecified “political actions” in Texas have “caused distress” for “trans and non-binary youth” and points to a number of radical groups that support transgender medical procedures on kids.
Talarico has advocating for so-called ‘trans’ children over the course of his political career. In 2021, the Dem made his now infamous comments about God being non-binary while speaking on the Texas State House Floor.
In a video posted to St. Andrew’s YouTube channel in September 2024, Talarico is seen in front of a rainbow curtain while speaking about the church’s embrace of same-sex marriage among other hot topics.
TALARICO: This church showed me what democracy looks like. This church showed me what that commitment looks like. In the 1990s, this church risked everything to bless same-sex marriages. In the 2000s, this church sparked controversy by allowing an atheist to join our congregation. As we speak, this church is providing sanctuary to a mother and son seeking asylum from violence in Guatemala.
Talarico is currently on leave from his studies at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, which The New York Times described as a “progressive institution” in the Texas capital. He delivers sermons at St. Andrew’s as part of his studies and was baptized there as a toddler.
Today, children in the congregation have access to a library stocked with what the church calls “banned books,” including titles that address sexuality, gender identity, and LGBTQ experiences.
The Girlfriend
But that is not all that is making headlines related to the Democratic nominee. As reported on Tuesday’s AM Update, Talarico’s mysterious girlfriend was revealed by Texas outlet Current Revolt as 30-year-old Brianna Menard, a lobbyist for the Texas Medical Association who once worked as his chief of staff.
The New York Post discovered Menard is a self-described “committed vegan” who enjoys dancing at an Austin gay bar known as Cheer Up Charlies and snuggling with her “purrfect cat Zia.”
Talarico recently described Menard as his “rock” and credited her with helping him navigate the demands of a high-profile Senate campaign, but he has yet to identify her by name.
The Polls
With the Republican nomination set, new polling shows Talarico with a slight edge in the race against state Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The latest survey from Texas Public Opinion Research has Talarico leading Paxton by three points, 47 to 44 percent among likely voters. That poll was conducted days after Paxton defeated incumber Sen. John Cornyn in the GOP runoff last week, and it found some Cornyn supporters remain undecided or are considering backing Talarico in November.
In the RealClearPolitics polling average, Paxton holds a slight one point lead over Talarico. The general election in this hotly-contested election is November 3.
You can get all the day’s headlines by tuning into the AM Update with Megyn Kelly on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch AM Update on SiriusXM’s The Megyn Kelly Channel (channel 111).