James Talarico Clashes With Catholic Voter Over Abortion and Bible

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico clashed with Catholic theologian Jodi Hunt during a CNN and Jubilee town hall in Texas on Wednesday. Talarico, a state lawmaker and Christian seminarian, argued that his pro-choice position is compatible with his faith because the Bible is silent on the issue of abortion. Hunt, the executive director of the University of Dallas' Neuhoff Institute for Ministry and Evangelization, challenged this assertion by citing the Ten Commandments' mandate that thou shalt not kill.

Talarico responded that he does not view abortion as murder, though he admitted that if he believed it violated the Ten Commandments, he would not support it. He condemned the Texas Human Life Protection Act, arguing that those who are authentically pro-life should be disturbed by the outcomes of the state's abortion ban, which he claimed has led to women dying in emergency room parking lots.

The exchange drew condemnation from the Senate Leadership Fund, which described Talarico as too liberal for Texas, as well as pro-life organizations including Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America and Students for Life of America. Hunt further criticized Talarico's support for expanded contraception and age-appropriate sex education, stating that parents should be the primary educators of their children. Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton declined to participate in the forum.