James Talarico denies defund‑the‑police support as 2020 video resurfaces
Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico and his campaign issued a denial on Monday after a 2020 video resurfaced in which the then‑state lawmaker described the defund‑the‑police slogan as "rich" and argued that policing should be replaced with a new system.
Campaign spokesperson JT Ennis told Fox News Digital that Talarico never called for defunding the police, reaffirming his support for Texas law enforcement and first responders. Ennis said the remarks were taken out of context by critics and emphasized Talarico’s record of voting to fund billions of dollars to local law enforcement while advocating for expanded mental‑health resources.
The video shows Talarico speaking during a virtual discussion with Texas Rising, a progressive youth activist group, amid the 2020 racial‑justice protests sparked by George Floyd’s death. He said, "As an educator, it’s always rich to me that ‘defund the police’ is considered off‑limits in our political debate, when defunding health services, defunding public education has been the stated policy of our state government for decades now." He also noted that the policing system was "deeply broken" and needed to be replaced with something better.
In a separate September 2020 interview with Honest Austin, Talarico echoed the same sentiment, questioning whether armed officers were required for every emergency and suggesting that mental‑health crises might be better handled by counselors. The campaign argues that his comments targeted the hypocrisy of politicians who condemn the slogan while supporting cuts to other public services.
Ken Paxton, the Republican Attorney General and Talarico’s Senate rival, has been accused by the Talarico campaign of using the resurfaced video to distract from his own record on crime. Ennis highlighted Paxton’s involvement in a controversial plea agreement with former Waco attorney Adam Dean Hoffman, who faced sexual‑abuse charges. Prosecutors from Paxton’s office negotiated a deal that allowed Hoffman to plead guilty to a misdemeanor and receive a 60‑day jail sentence, sparking criticism that the deal was overly lenient.
The controversy emerges as the Senate race tightens, with both candidates drawing intense scrutiny over past statements and actions. Talarico’s campaign continues to stress his commitment to adequately funding essential government services, including police departments, and to advancing mental‑health initiatives that could reduce the need for armed response in certain situations.
As the campaign season progresses, both parties are expected to intensify messaging around law‑and‑order issues, with the defund‑the‑police debate likely to remain a pivotal point of contention in the weeks ahead.
