AUSTIN, Texas — Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico says Republicans are using transgender Texans as political targets to divide voters and distract from problems affecting working families.
Speaking with Rachel Maddow on MS NOW, Talarico rejected suggestions that Democrats should abandon transgender people to improve their electoral prospects. “I don’t think we win by selling people out,” he said, describing his campaign as one representing all Texans.
Talarico acknowledged that transgender participation in school sports presents policy questions requiring public debate. However, he accused Republican nominee Ken Paxton of exploiting those questions to generate anger and accumulate political power rather than pursue workable solutions.
Paxton has repeatedly attacked Talarico over transgender rights, previously calling him a “left-wing lunatic” who wants “boys in girls’ sports.” The rhetoric reflects a broader Republican strategy emphasizing transgender athletes, medical care and public accommodations.
The Supreme Court recently upheld Idaho and West Virginia laws excluding transgender girls and women from female school sports, ruling that the restrictions did not violate Title IX or equal-protection guarantees.
Talarico and Paxton are locked in an unexpectedly competitive Senate race. Three recent polls have shown Talarico narrowly ahead, although each result remains close and Texas has not elected a Democratic senator since 1988.
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