James
Talarico

James Talarico is a former public school teacher and current Texas state representative who has championed stamping out corruption, bringing down the cost of living, and fighting for clean, affordable, and reliable energy.

Shortly after graduating from the University of Texas at Austin, Talarico joined Teach For America and taught sixth grade at a public middle school in San Antonio. He went on to work for the Texas education nonprofit Reasoning Mind before getting elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2018. While concurrently working towards a Master of Divinity, Talarico led numerous bills making education, healthcare, and housing more accessible. He has consistently advocated for strong protections for our clean air and water and developed a broad energy platform that seeks to invest in clean energy, improve the reliability of the Texas grid, and demand that energy companies pay their fair share.

As a senator, Talarico will prioritize bringing down costs and creating job opportunities by deploying affordable, clean energy, strengthening the grid, and developing climate-smart infrastructure across Texas.

Talarico joins the U.S. Senate after defeating Republican candidate Ken Paxton. He fills the seat held by former Senator John Cornyn, who earned a 6% lifetime score on LCV’s National Environmental Scorecard.

“I have a strong commitment to protecting our environment. Some of my most cherished memories are enjoying Texas’s beautiful landscape — whether it’s on my family trips to Big Bend or visiting relatives on the Corpus Christi coast. I know that we have a responsibility to prioritize policies that will protect our environment for generations to come.” – LCVAF Questionnaire