The aspiring and perspiring Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate from Texas wants you to know that he is not a member of the Chinese Communist Party.
Did somebody accuse James Talarico of being a member of the Chinese Communist Party? His opponent in the race, Ken Paxton, did not.
“Kan Paxton is lying about my record…. No, I’m not a member of the Chinese Communist Party. No, I don’t support sex-change surgeries for kids,” says Talarico in a new ad. This ad, says The Washington Post, is intended to “debunk right-wing claims about his stances” (October 2, 2026).
Um, okay. (Though “denying” is not exactly the same thing as “debunking.” And how would membership in the Chinese Communist Party be a “stance”?)
In August, Texas Score Card reported:
Speaking Tuesday to reporters and a group of veterans at a VFW post in Universal City, just outside San Antonio and near Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Paxton called China the “single greatest threat” facing the United States on the global stage.
He argued that Talarico’s record in the Texas House shows he has failed to take that threat seriously.
Paxton specifically pointed to Talarico’s vote last year against Senate Bill 17, which restricts the purchase of Texas land by individuals and entities connected to China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
“When Senate Bill 17 came to the floor of the Texas House, James Talarico voted no,” said Paxton.
Paxton argued that the vote should take on added significance as Talarico seeks a seat in the U.S. Senate.
“You cannot be soft on China and serious about Texas or our national security,” said Paxton. “James Talarico’s record is not just radical; it’s dangerous.”
Paxton also highlighted Talarico’s opposition to Senate Bill 667, another measure passed by lawmakers last year. The legislation prohibits Texas governmental entities from contracting with certain companies associated with hostile foreign adversaries, including companies owned by or headquartered in China….
Talarico’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment on Paxton’s remarks or an explanation of his votes against SB 17 and SB 667.
That somebody somewhere has charged James Talarico with being a member of the Chinese Communist Party may be true. And perhaps there is some evidence somewhere that somebody somewhere has made this charge even though the Internet cannot at the moment find any.
But in his ad, Talarico is toppling a straw man by asserting, dishonestly, that Ken Paxton has accused him of being a member of the Chinese Communist Party and then heatedly disputing this invented accusation instead of defending his votes on Texas Senate bills SB 17 and SB 667.
Also see:
@PollTracker2024: Video: “James Talarico releases new ad”
“Ken Paxton is lying about my record, even making fake AI videos of me. No, I’m not a member of the Chinese Communist Party. No, I don’t support sex change surgeries for kids.”
