Will Mr. Talarico go to Washington?
A beacon of light for our dark political times.
In the 1939 Hollywood film, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Jimmy Stewart plays Jefferson Smith, an idealistic midwesterner appointed to the US Senate by a governor who plans to control and manipulate him.
Upon arriving in Washington, Smith encounters the darker side of politics, including fraudulent schemes, political manipulation, and financial deceit.
Determined to expose it all, he faces fierce opposition from a powerful political machine, which attempts to discredit him through false accusations and manipulation of the media to turn public opinion against him.
Despite overwhelming odds, Smith fights back by launching a marathon filibuster on the Senate floor during which he quotes the Constitution to eloquently defend democracy, liberty, the rights of ordinary citizens, and the importance of public service over personal gain.
(It’s still worth watching after all these years.)
James Talarico looks like he could be the grandson of Jefferson Smith — and he acts like it, too.
A middle school teacher and devout Christian, Talarico decided to run for office in 2018 to give a voice to his generation. He was only 29 years old.
Against great odds, he was elected as a Democrat to the ultra-conservative Texas House of Representatives and became its youngest member.
Talarico’s unflappable composure, keen intelligence, and moral integrity stood out from the very beginning.
From the onset, Talarico focused on preserving public education, providing affordable child care, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, and eliminating inequities in the tax system that favored the wealthy and privileged.
In his own words, “I’m not afraid to stand up to Republican extremism. I’ve led the fight against their efforts to bully trans kids, ban books, whitewash our history curriculum, gut public education with a private school voucher scam, and force their Christian Nationalist agenda onto the people of Texas.”
Talarico warned early on that Christian Nationalism poses a serious threat to our democracy, defining it as "the worship of power—social power, economic power, political power—in the name of Christ," arguing that it is "antithetical to the teachings of Jesus," a "betrayal of Jesus, a perversion of the gospel, and a subversion of our American democracy.”
Despite being a devout Christian who is currently studying for a master's qualification at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Talarico passionately opposed a bill in the Texas legislature mandating that the Ten Commandments be posted on the walls of all public school classrooms.
In May of this year, he questioned the bill’s author, conservative Texas State Representative Candy Noble, about the hypocrisy of the bill, while suggesting the US Constitution should be posted instead. The exchange quickly went viral.
Then Came "The Joe Rogan Experience"
After seeing that exchange, podcaster Joe Rogan invited Talarico to be a guest on his show a few weeks ago.
Towards the end of their 2 1/2 hour talk on a host of issues, including Talarico’s possible run for the US Senate, Rogan was so impressed that he urged Talarico to run for President.
Here’s My Take
In our current times of deep division, distrust, and cynicism, our country needs more leaders like James Talarico.
His calm demeanor, authenticity, compassion, and integrity offer a stark contrast to the prejudice, hate, and intolerance of the MAGA movement that is tearing our nation apart.
We should heed his powerful reminders to love our neighbors without exception, to join together despite our differences, and to cultivate a common ground of human decency as we struggle to preserve our democracy and its founding principles of liberty and justice for all.
Resources:
Politics, Faith and Mission: A Conversation With Rep. James Talarico ~ Baptist News Global
James Talarico on the Joe Rogan Show ~ July 15, 2025
From The Sanctuary To The Streets: A Conversation With James Talarico ~ Good Faith Media
He’s Deeply Religious and a Democrat. He Might Be the Next Big Thing in Texas Politics ~ Polotico
Joe Rogan’s Latest Guest Might Turn Texas Blue ~ Politico
Joe Rogan Slams Trump Administration Over Epstein Investigation: 'Trying To Gaslight’ ~ ABC
Joe Rogan Anoints a New Progressive Star – Can James Talarico Triumph in Texas? ~ The Guardian
In Texas, Violating Campaign Ethics Laws Rarely Yields Repercussions. The Attorney General’s Office is to Blame ~ Texas Tribune
The Texas Legislature Explores New Frontiers of Christian Nationalism ~ Washington Post
The Death of America ~ Perspectives
It's No Big Deal, We Just Want to Take Over the World ~ Perspectives
This is the most important post you'll read today--whatever day you happen to read it--because James Talarico is the real deal, not a creature of television or backroom party politics. He seems uninterested in power for its own sake, and the farther into his past you dive, the more impressed you will be. Find me 435 people of his moral standing, and we'll have a Congress we can be proud of.
Yes, Mr Talarico, please go to Washington! We need leaders like this on our national stage.