• Facebook
• Twitter
• Threads
• Flipboard
• Comments
• Print
• Email
• Add Fox News on Google

Democratic Texas Senate candidate says national party 'hostile' towards faith in red states

Texas Senate candidate James Talarico said the national Democratic Party is condescending towards people during an interview on Tuesday, and sometimes "hostile" towards cultural interests in red states.

Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico said during an interview posted Tuesday that the national party was "condescending" to people, and sometimes is "hostile" toward cultural issues in red states, specifically religion.

"I’m not an expert on the national Democratic Party, but I will say, just from my observations, being in a red state, someone who flipped a Trump district and was able to build this kind of coalition: Our national party is pretty condescending to people," Talarico told The New York Times' Ezra Klein, who asked the Senate candidate how the national party could appeal more to Texans.

Talarico, a state representative who is running against Rep. Jasmine Crockett, D-Texas, in the Senate race, is a former middle school teacher and Presbyterian seminarian.

"You always hear this, especially if you are out on the coasts: Why do all these people vote against their material interests? You’ve heard that before, I’m sure. Such a condescending thing to say to somebody. It’s acting like they don’t know how to make decisions for their own lives, and they don’t know what they need," he said.

Democratic state Rep. James Talarico speaks during a campaign launch rally on Sept. 9, 2025, in Round Rock, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

JOY REID SAYS DEMS' BRAND TAINTED BY FOCUS ON TRANS POLITICS AND IMMIGRANTS, ABANDONED RURAL WHITE VOTERS

Talarico said people have interests outside their material interests, citing cultural, personal and spiritual interests.

"And the Democratic Party culturally, in many ways, has become hostile to some of these cultural values in red states and red communities — faith maybe being foremost among them," he continued.

"I don’t agree with everyone who shares my faith. I don’t agree with every member of the body of Christ, but I am part of that body, and we share something deeper than partisanship. We share something deeper than public policy. We share a commitment, a witness, a practice, a tradition, and that is an opportunity for connection," the candidate said.

Senate candidate James Talarico speaks during a campaign event in Houston, Texas, on Sept. 13, 2025. (Mark Felix/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

SENATE DEMOCRATS RECRUITING TOP CANDIDATES IN PUSH TO WIN BACK MAJORITY

Podcast host Joe Rogan urged Talarico to run for president during an interview on Rogan's show in July.

The Democratic state representative said shared faith can open doors for other conversations and said the party should focus on building relationships with people who aren't necessarily supportive of the party.

"So I would just advocate for our party to think about how to actually build real relationships at scale with people who aren’t with us yet. Not only will that, I think, lead to winning, and we have a moral imperative to win in a democracy. Because if you don’t win, you don’t get power. And if you don’t get power, you can’t make people’s lives better," he said.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE

Crockett, Talarico's chief opponent for the nomination, announced her Senate candidacy in December. 

Her campaign announcement included a videoplaying several soundbites of President Donald Trump attacking her. Crockett is one of the most outspoken members of Congress against Trump, who has carried Texas easily in all three of his White House races.

She has argued that she doesn't need to win over supporters of Trump to win in Texas, which hasn't elected a Democrat to statewide office in decades.

Rep. Jasmine Crockett arrives on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on Dec. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

"Our goal is to definitely talk to people. No, we don't, we don't need to. Our goal is to make sure that we can engage people that historically have not been talked to, because there's so many people that get ignored, specifically in the state of Texas. Listen, the state of Texas is 61% people of color. We have a lot of good folks that we can talk to," the lawmaker said in December.

• ·沈阳发放技能提升补贴最高标准：高级（三级）2000元
• ·全红蝉夺个人世锦赛首冠 助跳水队摘世锦赛历史第100金
• ·宇树机器人助演王力宏演唱会，表演高难度空翻，视频火爆！马斯克转发：令人印象深刻⋯⋯
• ·（年终特稿）加速提升新质战斗力 中国强军注入“新”力量
• ·ผบ.ตร.ย้ำพนักงานสอบสวนปมอุบัติเหตุร้ายแรงซ้ำซ้อนให้รอบด้าน อย่าตีวงแค่ประมาท
• ·李悦洲12分吴前10助攻 浙江击败福建终获赛季首胜
• ·分类垃圾桶带你探索物联网智能回收
• ·Mỹ tấn công đáp trả, oanh tạc 70 mục tiêu trên khắp Syria
• ·荷兰骑手马克·豪特扎格问鼎马术世界杯阿姆斯特丹站160CM冠军
• ·“北溪”爆炸案一嫌犯身份曝光：案发时为乌军现役士兵
• ·日本官员叫嚣“拥核”，俄方表态
• ·肩部酸痛的形成原因及饮食原则
• ·CHC杰士马主俱乐部2岁公马“主宰星”首秀夺冠！成G1蓝钻锦标夺冠热门
• ·“北溪”爆炸案一嫌犯身份曝光：案发时为乌军现役士兵
• ·蓝天保卫战，细精净勤严！环境宁晋环卫项目全力应对重污染天气
• ·垃圾分类：应对气候变化的无声卫士