Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico faced questions about his abortion stance from a Catholic voter during a CNN and Jubilee town hall Wednesday evening in Fort Worth, Texas.
Talarico, who holds a slight lead over Republican Ken Paxton, addressed an audience of 20 Texas Democrats, 20 independent voters, and 20 Republicans and took questions on a variety of topics.
Jodi Hunt, a professor of applied ministry at the University of Dallas, challenged Talarico on how Catholic voters, who make up 22 percent of the Texas electorate, can trust him to protect the lives of all Texans when he doesn’t support protections for the unborn.
“Catholics tend, myself included, to be a one-issue voter,” Hunt said, identifying abortion as a central concern. “If you cannot provide policies or support policies that protect the most innocent among us, who is the unborn child, how can we trust that you’re going to provide policies to protect the rest of Texans?”
James Talarico worked to find common ground with one Texas voter who said she votes exclusively on the issue of abortion.
Talarico said that while he supports some abortion access, he said he wants to see fewer unplanned pregnancies and abortions overall, and that the issue… pic.twitter.com/SkfBpcWmTk
— CNN (@CNN) October 15, 2026
Talarico responded by invoking Pope Leo XIV and Pope Francis, whom he described as “consistently pro-life” in their opposition not only to abortion but also to poverty, climate change, and war.
Arguing that the two could find common ground despite their disagreement over abortion’s legality, Talarico claimed that “we’re both Christians and the Bible is silent on the issue of abortion.”
He proposed reducing abortions through age appropriate sex education, access to contraception, and health care.
Hunt pushed back on his biblical interpretation. “The Bible is not silent on abortion. There is the Ten Commandments, Thou Shalt Not Kill,” she said, adding that Catholics also have concerns about government interference in their children’s education, especially around the topics of sex education and contraception.
Talarico subsequently criticized Texas’s abortion restrictions, claiming that the state’s ban applies even “when the life of the mother is in danger.” He pointed to reports of women dying from sepsis after being denied emergency care and argued that such outcomes should disturb anyone who is “authentically pro-life.”
Texas law prohibits most abortions, including in cases of rape and incest, but provides exceptions for certain life-threatening medical conditions.
Despite their disagreements, Hunt expressed a favorable impression of Talarico following the exchange.
“I was surprised at how centrist he was on many of the issues,” she said, praising his willingness to engage with Catholic voters and seek common ground. “I liked that he responded to me. I like that he invited us to sit down and challenge him.”
Talarico, who in addition to running for office is enrolled in seminary, often invokes his Christian faith as a justification for his progressive social views. During the Wednesday town hall, he was asked about his widely discussed claim that God is “nonbinary.” Talarico defended the underlying point while conceding that his provocative framing may come off as “annoying.”
The Texas Senate elections will be held November 3, 2026.