Ken Paxton Campaign Ad Targets James Talarico’s Past Religious Statements

A new campaign advertisement from U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton criticizes his opponent, James Talarico, for his past public comments regarding theology and gender. The 30-second spot features an AI-generated depiction of Talarico and accuses him of weaponizing faith to advance a political agenda. The ad highlights several of Talarico’s previous remarks, including claims that God is non-binary, that there are six genders, and that Jesus was a “radical feminist.”

Talarico, a member of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) currently pursuing a Master of Divinity, has previously addressed some of these statements. Regarding his 2021 comments on biological sex, Talarico told CBS News in May that he acknowledges the existence of two sexes while emphasizing the need for dignity for those with chromosomal variations. The Paxton campaign’s ad also references a 2022 sermon in which Talarico cited the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas to describe Jesus, a move the campaign uses to characterize Talarico as being outside of orthodox Christian belief.