Texas Democratic Senate hopeful James Talarico identified drag performer Alyssa Edwards as his favorite in the state during a campaign event. Edwards has publicly discussed his involvement with youth drag performances.
The exchange occurred when an individual at the event asked Talarico, "Who’s your favorite drag queen in Texas?" Talarico responded without hesitation, "Oh, my gosh. Probably Alyssa Edwards."
This moment comes as Talarico faces criticism for previous statements on sexuality and gender, including remarks such as "God is nonbinary" and his praise in 2023 for Texas having "some of the best drag queens in the nation."
Alyssa Edwards is the stage name of Justin Dwayne Lee Johnson, who has been an advocate for youth drag shows. Johnson's work with young dancers was featured in the 2018 Netflix docuseries "Dancing Queen," where he referred to a 10-year-old student as his "mini-me."
In response to the questioning about his favorite drag queen, Talarico campaign spokesperson JT Ennis stated, "James’ favorite performer is Ken Paxton — who dresses up as attorney general while giving sweetheart deals to child sex predators."
Previously, Talarico acknowledged that some of his past statements on gender and related issues "missed the mark." He indicated that he no longer believes there are six sexes and suggested that such topics are being raised to avoid discussing economic issues like fuel prices with Republicans in the majority.