Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico seems to be shifting away from his previously left-leaning positions, recently criticizing former President Joe Biden for his perceived failures on border security in a new campaign ad released on Monday. This recent advertising move reflects a more hawkish and somewhat right-leaning stance, which contrasts sharply with Talarico’s past calls to cut Texas’s entire border security budget during an earlier interview.
In the ad, Talarico states, “I called out Joe Biden for failing us on the border.” However, his campaign was unable to provide any instances of him publicly criticizing Biden while he was in office. Interestingly, in a 2019 interview, Talarico advocated for reallocating Texas’s two-year $800 million border security budget to public education.
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“We’re sending about $800 million per biennium to the border with Mexico for increased border security,” he noted in that interview from over seven years ago. Back then, that funding represented the state’s total budget aimed at combating illegal immigration.
He expressed a preference for redirecting those funds into public education instead, stating, “I’d rather take that money and put it back into public education and help increase the basic allotment.” This shift towards a more moderate immigration stance seems strategic, especially given the political climate in Texas, which is predominantly conservative.
“Putting a bunch of boats, planes, and border patrol agents on the physical border is expensive and also does not solve the problem,” Talarico reflected in that same interview, contrasting his current approach to immigration given the context of the ongoing crisis.
His previous critiques came to light as border crossings reportedly reached their lowest point in 55 years under the Trump administration, linked to increased enforcement measures taken then. Talarico had remarked, “Everyone will admit it’s just political grandstanding,” suggesting that some lawmakers appeal to extreme factions of their base by pouring funds into border security measures.
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Despite his label as a “border security” Democrat now, Talarico’s previous statements reveal a history of advocating against stringent border policies. Previously, he has called for dismantling Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and referred to undocumented individuals as his “constituents.” He has also characterized Gov. Greg Abbott’s border enforcement strategies as “atrocities,” asserting that he has “taught a lot of undocumented students” and claimed those individuals are more patriotic than certain American citizens.
In response to questions surrounding his shift in approach, a spokesperson for Talarico emphasized that he is the only candidate with a border security agenda backed by sheriffs from both parties in border counties. They claim Talarico supports better security and enforcement measures, arguing that the focus should be on arresting violent criminals rather than on families.
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This month, rumors circulated regarding Talarico’s brief absence from the campaign trail, suggesting he was at a behavioral health facility. He later clarified that he had been recovering from the flu. Talarico is competing against GOP candidate Ken Paxton for the Senate seat in what has become a closely contested race as the midterms approach.
