Texas Senate candidate James Talarico shared the stage Thursday with Frederick Haynes III, a Democratic congressional candidate who has previously described Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as the "new KKK" and called for its abolition. Talarico briefly praised Haynes at a get-out-the-vote event as part of his Clear Eyes Full Hearts tour.
"Give it up for your next congressman, Dr. Freddy Haynes. Thank you, Dr. Haynes, for those kind words and for your service to this community," Talarico said at the rally.
Haynes, pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church, has frequently framed political issues through a racial lens. In his remarks at the event, he stated, "You transformed ICE into the new KKK and brought about terror in this nation." Haynes is running to represent Texas' 30th Congressional District. He has also supported reparations, saying, "America, you owe us. What you done to us has been immoral. It’s been evil. It’s been unjust."
Talarico, who is seeking to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate, has also voiced support for reparations, stating, "Reparations, repairing past harms, is part of my faith tradition. It’s part of the values I was raised with." He has previously sought to position himself as a moderate capable of representing the Republican-leaning state, despite some stances on race and gender that differ from conservative viewpoints. Talarico has stated he "missed the mark" with some past controversial statements and is working to backtrack on them.
Haynes' previous remarks include describing conservative commentator Charlie Kirk as having views "rooted in White supremacy" and contrasting his death with the assassinations of civil rights leaders. He has also framed his support for climate policy as a fight against "environmental racism."
Talarico's campaign did not respond to a request for comment regarding whether his remarks about Haynes constituted an endorsement of his platform or views on race in politics.