Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico is facing questions about his position on transgender issues after an undercover recording captured him saying his views “haven’t changed,” just days after he publicly said he would oppose transgender athletes competing in girls’ sports when safety or fairness is at risk.

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The footage adds another layer to the debate over Talarico’s record as he campaigns against Republican Ken Paxton for a U.S. Senate seat in November.

From Breitbart:

The recording, captured at Houston’s Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, shows the Democrat responding to a woman who asked whether he would defend her “niece who is trans” and her ability to compete in women’s sports, the Daily Wire reported.

Talarico assured her he would carry his legislative record into the Senate.

“Always,” he said. “The way I fought for trans kids in the legislature is how I will fight for them in the U.S. Senate. And my position hasn’t changed.”

Four days before that exchange, Talarico struck a different note during a Fox News interview. Asked about transgender athletes participating in girls’ sports, he said every sport must be “safe and fair” and that he would oppose transgender athletes competing against girls when their participation threatened either consideration. In the undercover recording, however, Talarico said such questions should be decided locally “sport by sport, athlete by athlete” and described his position as “the most inclusive policy” of any candidate in the race.

Talarico also addressed medical procedures for minors during the Fox News appearance, pledging to “absolutely” support a national prohibition on gender-transition surgeries for children. That position stands in contrast to votes he cast in the Texas legislature. According to the report, Talarico voted against a 2023 Texas law restricting such procedures and against a 2021 bill that would have required school athletes to compete according to the sex listed on their birth certificates. He has previously characterized such restrictions as stemming from what he called a “Christofascism movement.”

Others captured in separate undercover footage suggested Talarico’s changing rhetoric was intentional. Jennifer Miranda, a manager with Texas Together and the Texas Democratic Party, said he was attempting to cast a “wider net” and become “more palatable to Republicans here in Texas,” while maintaining that Talarico still believes what he has said previously. Rev. Babs Miller, a minister at Talarico’s longtime Austin church, similarly predicted that his positions would shift back after the election.

The Paxton campaign seized on the footage, arguing that it reveals Talarico’s actual position. “James Talarico can’t outrun his own radical record, and this bombshell video proves it,” spokeswoman Madison Cercy said. “Now, even he admits his position ‘hasn’t changed.’” Talarico and Paxton will face voters in November.

For intercessors, this story underscores the importance of looking beyond campaign rhetoric and carefully examining candidates’ records and statements. With consequential questions involving children, biological sex, and parental concerns at stake, voters need clarity about what those seeking office actually intend to do once elected. Let’s pray for truth and transparency throughout this election season, for voters to exercise wisdom and discernment, and for candidates to speak clearly and honestly about the policies they intend to pursue.

Share your prayers for truth and discernment in the upcoming elections in the comments.

(Excerpt from Breitbart. Photo Credit: Chalffy/Getty Images Signature via Canva Business)