James Carville Says Texas Democrat James Talarico Must Address Controversial Past Comments

Veteran Democratic strategist James Carville says Texas Democrats may have a real shot at an upset Senate victory, but only if nominee James Talarico can neutralize a growing list of controversial past comments before Republicans define him.

Speaking with co-host Al Hunt on their podcast last week, Carville and Hunt argued that Talarico remains Democrats’ strongest statewide candidate in years. But both warned that statements on gender ideology, race, abortion and religion could become major liabilities in a state that has long leaned Republican.

“I think Talarico has to be smart, and he has to be aggressive,” Hunt said, noting that Republicans have already begun highlighting past remarks in campaign advertisements.

“Some of it is true,” Carville replied. “He’s got to deal with it.”

Hunt pointed specifically to reports that Talarico previously suggested there are six genders, arguing that such comments could become a serious political problem if left unanswered.

“If he said it, God d— it, he better walk it back right now or explain it,” Hunt said.

The pair argued that Talarico’s best strategy is to acknowledge mistakes while keeping attention focused on Republican nominee Ken Paxton.

“But most importantly,” Hunt said, “he has to say, ‘Hey, I may have said some dumb things, but Ken Paxton has committed dumb, corrupt acts that hurt Texas citizens.’”

Despite those concerns, both men expressed surprising optimism about Democratic chances in Texas.

Hunt estimated Talarico has a “50/50 shot” at victory if Democratic turnout remains strong among Hispanic and Black voters and if he stays on offense throughout the campaign.

Carville agreed.

“On that, we can agree,” he said. “It’s a pure tossup.”

The longtime Democratic strategist argued that nearly every condition his party would need for a competitive Texas race has fallen into place.

He pointed to a bruising Republican primary, Talarico’s victory over progressive rival Jasmine Crockett, strong Democratic fundraising and a national political environment where Democrats have frequently outperformed expectations.

“In other words,” Carville said, “everything that you would say in a lab had to happen to get this thing to the point that here we are, almost post-Memorial Day, saying it’s a 50/50 race.”

For his part, Talarico has already begun addressing the controversy.

During a recent interview with CBS, he acknowledged that some of his past comments were mistakes.

“There are some statements that I have made that I certainly regret,” Talarico said. “There are statements that I have made where I have missed the mark. I will be the first to admit that.”

More over at The New York Post:

Carville says Talarico has ‘got to deal with’ past culture war comments if he wants to win Texas Senate race https://t.co/Z9g9GL8mqi pic.twitter.com/t4u1pYFok0

— New York Post (@nypost) June 2, 2026