Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico is facing questions about where he was legally registered to vote during an earlier run for the Texas House after records obtained by The Federalist appeared to show he registered using his mother’s Austin address despite previously living elsewhere.
The report also notes that Talarico, 37, shares an individual checking account with his mother, who has frequently donated to his political campaigns.
The allegations are drawing attention because Talarico has repeatedly accused Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, his opponent in the Senate race, of illegally voting from the wrong address.
After winning a seat in the Texas House in 2018 representing Round Rock’s House District 52, Talarico was reelected in 2020. He lived at a home on Porano Circle in Round Rock while representing the district, according to records cited by The Federalist.
Following the 2020 census, the Republican-controlled Legislature redrew district lines, making House District 52 significantly more favorable to Republicans. Talarico announced in October 2021 that he would instead run for House District 50 after Democratic Rep. Celia Israel chose not to seek reelection while pursuing a bid for Austin mayor.
“Republicans have gerrymandered me out of my district. If they think they can keep me off the House floor, they better think again,” Talarico wrote on Twitter in October 2021. “I’m grateful to everyone urging me to move back to HD50 — where I grew up — to run for the seat being vacated by my friend Rep Israel.”
According to voter registration records reviewed by The Federalist, Talarico changed his voter registration in early December 2021 to his mother’s Austin address, just days before the filing deadline for the 2022 election.
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The Federalist reported there is no evidence Talarico lived at the home during the relevant period. Under the Texas Constitution, candidates for the Texas House must have lived in the state for at least two years before the election, and for one year in the district they seek to represent.
Talarico later purchased a home in House District 50 after launching his campaign. Property records show the home is located on Manford Hill Drive in Austin.
The residency questions come as Talarico has sharply criticized Paxton over allegations that the Republican voted from an address where he did not live. Reporting by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune alleged Paxton cast ballots in six elections using an address where he no longer resided after separating from his wife.
Speaking at a campaign event in Houston over the weekend, Talarico accused Paxton of violating election law.
“As our state’s attorney general, Ken Paxton has gone on a voter fraud witch hunt,” Talarico said, according to The Texas Tribune. “Turns out, he was committing voter fraud the whole time, voting illegally in six elections in a row from the wrong address.”
The Federalist argues Talarico‘s own voter registration history raises similar legal questions, pointing to election and property records that it says warrant scrutiny under Texas’ residency requirements for House candidates.
The outlet also reported that Talarico has taken advantage of a Texas privacy law that allows certain public officials and law enforcement personnel to keep voter registration information from public view.
The allegations have not resulted in criminal charges, and Talarico has not publicly responded to The Federalist’s reporting. The issue is likely to become another flashpoint in one of Texas’ highest-profile Senate races as both candidates continue trading accusations over election integrity.
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[ H/T Trending Politics ]
