Senate Candidate Advocates for Gun Control Measures

James Talarico, a Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, supports implementing background checks for all gun sales. This would effectively make private gun sales, a practice legally enjoyed since 1791, a criminal offense.

His campaign website emphasizes universal background checks as a key priority in promoting public safety and justice. Alongside this, Talarico aims to introduce laws regulating firearm storage, which typically involve ensuring guns are stored securely—often requiring locking them away and separating them from ammunition, particularly for homes with children.

Another significant focus for Talarico is increasing the minimum age for purchasing semi-automatic rifles that feature military-style characteristics, including high-capacity magazines.

In the race, Talarico faces off against Republican candidate Ken Paxton, the current Texas attorney general. Paxton is a strong advocate for the Second Amendment and is actively challenging certain regulations established during the Biden administration that he believes infringe on Texans’ rights related to firearms.

For instance, on April 24, 2026, his office announced success in blocking federal regulations from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) that were seen as violations of the constitutional right to private firearm transactions.

Additionally, in 2025, Paxton, alongside 25 other state attorneys general, voiced opposition to what they considered unconstitutional restrictions on the Second Amendment in an amicus brief directed at the Supreme Court.

He has also pursued legal action against the city of Dallas multiple times, arguing that local carry bans violate state laws protecting Second Amendment rights.

In an email statement from April 17, 2025, Paxton asserted his commitment to defending Texans’ gun rights against cities imposing restrictions. He emphasized his readiness to take action whenever local regulations threaten these rights.