After James Talarico’s several-day absence from the campaign trail due to a “nasty case of the flu” spawned conspiracy theories, the Texas candidate returned to the spotlight to participate in a CNN and Jubilee Media town hall with voters.
The audience, made up of Democrats, Republicans and Independents, posed questions to Talarico and sat down with him Wednesday evening to debate key issues.
Catch up on the highlights:
Many voters said the economy was their top issue. In response to a question about the cost of healthcare, Talarico said he believes there needs to be a “robust public option” that can compete with for-profit insurance companies.
The oil and gas industry is an important sector in Texas, and Talarico said he wants an “all of the above” approach. “I will stand up to my own party if they mess with our oil and gas industry, and I will stand up to the other party if they mess with renewables,” he said.
Talarico attacked billionaires multiple times. He said he wants to go back to the “OG capitalism” that rewards hard work instead of wealth. He also called for an end to “big money in our politics” and for super PACs and corporate PACs to be banned. And he said he believes the national debt can be paid by “closing the billionaire tax loopholes.”
In a state that is on the border, Talarico called for immigration reform that rejects the extremes of both parties. Undocumented immigrants who commit violent crime should be deported, he said, but there should also be more legal pathways to come to the US. He also said he does not support abolishing ICE.
On foreign policy, Talarico defended his support for aid to Ukraine and said it is a “cost-saving measure” to stand up to Russian aggression now. He also told a rabbi that he has been “very critical” of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and called for a two-state solution.
Talarico said he is in favor of “fair voter ID,” but dodged a voter’s question about whether he supports the Save America Act. Republicans’ efforts to redraw the state’s congressional districts, close polling locations and suspend voter registrations is “un-American,” Talarico said.
He blasted Ken Paxton as “the most corrupt politician in Texas” after largely avoiding mentioning his Republican opponent for much of the evening.
Talarico said that while he supports some abortion access, he argued the issue should be viewed instead as a “public policy problem.” He also defended his position that he would support a national ban on gender-affirming surgeries for transgender youth under the age of 18.
