Texas Democrat James Talarico Says He Opposes Trans Athletes in Women's Sports If Unsafe or Unfair

Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico's campaign has stated he opposes transgender athletes competing in girls' sports when safety or fairness is at risk, while also characterizing political efforts to address the issue as bullying students. "As a former public school teacher, James cares about our student athletes — that’s why throughout his career he has opposed trans athletes playing girls’ sports when it jeopardizes safety or fairness," campaign spokesperson JT Ennis told OutKick. "At the same time, he’ll always stand against discrimination, especially when the most powerful politicians in the country bully students to score political points, because his faith teaches him that every child is made in the image of God."

His campaign did not indicate whether he would support a federal law broadly protecting women's and girls' sports from male competitors when asked, including the Protection of Women's and Girls' in Sports Act, which failed to advance in the Senate last March when every Democratic senator voted against it.

Talarico's record as a state lawmaker shows he has voted against statewide restrictions on transgender participation. He also frequently pushed for amendments that would have allowed male athletes in girls' sports through exceptions.

In 2021, Talarico opposed House Bill 25, which required public-school athletes in interscholastic competition to compete according to the sex recorded on their birth certificates at or near birth, with limited exceptions. Earlier that year, he voted against a bill with a similar purpose, Senate Bill 29. Talarico authored an unsuccessful amendment that would have removed HB 25's requirement that birth-certificate sex entries be made at or near birth, except for clerical corrections. Before HB 25, the University Interscholastic League accepted legally modified birth certificates reflecting gender identity.

Other amendments he supported would have allowed a coach, principal, or school board to approve otherwise prohibited transgender participation. Those provisions did not specify the safety or fairness tests officials would have to apply.

His opposition to laws protecting female athletes from male competitors extended to college sports. In 2023, he voted against Senate Bill 15, which would have banned biological males from competing on women's college sports teams in Texas. He also supported an unsuccessful amendment allowing transgender athletes to compete under NCAA or NAIA eligibility requirements, with those organizations’ previous rules allowing males to compete in women's sports. The NCAA now bars male athletes from women’s competition, while the NAIA reserves its female sports category for athletes whose biological sex is female.

Speaking at the Texas Tribune Festival in September, Talarico stated his position had not shifted. "No, my position is exactly the same," he said, reiterating his view that sports eligibility decisions should be made locally on an athlete-by-athlete and sport-by-sport basis, rather than through blanket state bans. When pressed to explain a 2021 comment where he asserted that "some things are more important than perfectly fair competition in sports," Talarico claimed his original remark had been taken out of context, explaining that he was specifically talking about elementary school recreation and T-ball.

In January, he told "The Ezra Klein Show" that local officials should weigh eligibility and acknowledged that participation would sometimes be prohibited.

OutKick asked Talarico’s campaign whether he would vote for the federal Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. The campaign’s response did not answer that question, identify a federal alternative, or say whether Talarico would vote differently on HB 25 today. OutKick also inquired about how Talarico would measure safety and fairness, including the effects of male puberty, physical advantages, injury risks, and lost roster spots or scholarships, and whether his criteria would vary by age or sport. The campaign has not responded to those questions.

Talarico’s stance on the issue recently came under scrutiny after Dallas Cowboys legend Randy White challenged his consistency while endorsing Republican candidate Ken Paxton. When asked about Talarico’s past votes and recent statements on trans issues, White questioned his motives, stating, "I think that’s a sign that we can’t trust him. He’s going to go with the way the wind flows, whatever he feels like is the best thing for him and what his goals are."