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MAGA Super PAC Runs Ad Targeting Texas Senate Candidate James Talarico Over Religious Remarks
By Drooid · · How we work
Campaign Ad and Its Content
President Donald Trump’s super-PAC, MAGA Inc., released a 30-second television spot that labels Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico “weird” and attacks remarks he made about Christianity.
Talarico’s Controversial Statements and Subsequent Clarifications
During a 2021 legislative hearing, Talarico argued that modern science recognizes six biological sexes, listing chromosome combinations such as XX, XY, X, XXY, XYY and XXXY. In an October 2022 sermon at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, he described Jesus as a “radical feminist” and said God is both masculine and feminine, characterizing the deity as nonbinary. He later told Fox News that he “missed the mark” on the six-sex claim, stating that there are two sexes with a small percentage of genetic abnormalities. On a 2021 podcast, he referred to himself as a “Christian who hates Christianity,” a comment his office subsequently walked back, emphasizing that he is a devout Christian who opposes the use of scripture to justify hate.
Political Context and Poll Landscape
The ad appears as the Texas Senate race tightens. RealClearPolitics’ average of surveys conducted between September 8 and September 26 shows Talarico at 47.6 % and Republican incumbent Ken Paxton at 44.7 %, a 2.9-point Democratic lead. Individual polls from Texas Public Opinion Research (September 19-22), Marist (September 17-20), Texas Southern University/YouGov (September 15-19), and Emerson College (September 12-14) all place Talarico ahead by margins ranging from 1 to 6 points, each within typical error ranges. Republican-aligned Texas PAC is spending roughly $7.7 million per day to support Paxton, underscoring the race’s national significance as a potential determinant of Senate control.
Official Reactions
MAGA Inc. has not provided a comment to Newsweek. Talarico’s campaign reiterated his Christian faith and denied that he “hates Christianity,” framing the ad as a mischaracterization. The Paxton campaign has not issued a specific response to the ad’s content.
Potential Impact on the Senate Race
Analysts note that the ad could sharpen cultural-religious lines among Texas voters, potentially mobilizing both supporters and opponents of Talarico’s statements. With the race rated a toss-up by the Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball, the advertisement adds a new flashpoint that may influence voter perceptions ahead of the November election.