James Talarico explains campaign absence and revisits remarks on God’s gender
Texas Democratic Senate hopeful James Talarico used a CNN town hall to explain his nine-day absence from campaigning and address criticism of past remarks about God. He said he had flu, defended staying home to avoid infecting others and criticised the false online claims about his health, which had spread while he was away.
Asked by a Christian voter about calling God “non-binary” in a 2021 legislative debate, Talarico said he had been provocative and acknowledged the wording could be criticised. He argued that his underlying point was that God cannot be defined by human categories, and said he was open to feedback. The town hall took place less than three weeks before the midterms, with Talarico holding a small lead over Republican Ken Paxton, according to the article.
- Talarico said flu caused his nine-day campaign absence.
- He rejected online claims about his health as false.
- He admitted his “non-binary” remark about God was provocative.
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Texas elects two US senators, who represent the state in the federal legislature in Washington. James Talarico is a Democratic state lawmaker seeking one of those seats, while Ken Paxton is the Republican candidate; the election is part of the midterms, held halfway through a president’s term.
Talarico is also a Christian and has spoken publicly about religion. In a 2021 debate in the Texas legislature, he used the phrase “non-binary” about God while arguing that people cannot define God through human categories, drawing criticism from some Christians.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Talarico’s supporters can argue that staying home with flu was a responsible way to protect voters, staff and the public, and that correcting false health claims was appropriate. They may also see his remarks about God as a provocative attempt to express that the divine exceeds human categories, while welcoming his acknowledgement that the wording could offend.
The case against
Critics can argue that a nine-day absence so close to an election made it harder for voters to hear from him, and that a candidate should communicate promptly when health issues disrupt campaigning. They may also view calling God “non-binary” as needlessly provocative or disrespectful to believers, and consider his later explanation insufficient to undo that impression.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Testy James Talarico fires back at CNN when pressed on ‘crazy’ health conspiracies and admits ‘provocative’ God is non-binary claim after outrage”.