Texas Democrat James Talarico has made faith a cornerstone of his U.S. Senate campaign, positioning himself as a morally grounded Christian voice in a race against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. But newly surfaced audio from 2021 is complicating that narrative in a major way.
In an appearance on the “Activist Theology” podcast, Talarico made a striking admission about his relationship with the religion he so often invokes on the campaign trail.
“I always think of myself as a Christian who hates Christianity, right?” the Austin Democrat said in the unearthed recording.
That’s a potentially costly line in deep-red Texas, where faith is woven into public life and millions of voters identify as Christian.
As originally reported, the 2021 podcast episode featured Talarico in conversation with host Roberto Che Henderson-Espinoza and co-host Rev. Anna Golladay, discussing theology, politics and morality.
Henderson-Espinoza, formerly known as Robyn Henderson-Espinoza, identifies as a “nonbinary, transgender, Latinx theologian on the autistic spectrum.” The ordained Baptist previously taught courses including “Queer Theory and Theology” and “The Ethics of Liberation” at Duke Divinity School, and has written on what she calls “transing religion,” arguing for dismantling traditional theological binaries. In one sermon delivered while wearing a “Black Lives Matter” vest, Henderson-Espinoza described the Bible as “trans-positive.”
Talarico praised Henderson-Espinoza’s work during the episode, saying the book had inspired him and that “y’all’s work continues to inspire me.
Despite his “hates Christianity” comment, Talarico told the hosts he kept returning to the faith. “Nowhere else, in no other political philosophy, in no other economic theory, do I find anything as truly radical or revolutionary as the teachings of that barefoot Rabbi,” he said.
Talarico also spoke warmly about his longtime Austin minister, Jim Rigby of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, describing him as part of a “Christian anarchist tradition” and calling him a “true white traitor.” In far-left academic circles, the phrase refers to rejecting so-called white privilege rather than functioning as a traditional insult.
Co-host Golladay has her own notable backstory. She lost her associate pastoral position at United Methodist churches in Chattanooga, Tennessee, in 2018 after officiating a gay wedding. She is now running a long-shot campaign to unseat Rep. Chuck Fleischmann in a district President Donald Trump carried by more than 35 points in 2024.
Talarico has built his political brand around a progressive interpretation of Christianity, arguing his faith drives his views on social issues and government. Critics contend that interpretation looks less like traditional belief and more like left-wing politics dressed in scripture.
The unearthed podcast appearance offers a revealing look at the theological circles Talarico has embraced, even as he works to present himself as a faith-driven candidate in one of the most devoutly Christian states in the country.