Vice President JD Vance took direct aim at Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico on Thursday, using part of his speech at the Republican National Committee’s midterm convention in Dallas to attack the Texas lawmaker over his past comments on gender and Christianity.
Talarico is facing Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in November’s election to replace U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, making the Texas contest one of the closely watched Senate races of the 2026 midterms.
Speaking before a Republican crowd in Dallas, Vance zeroed in on remarks that have become a central part of GOP attacks against Talarico.
“But this Talarico guy, he will not shut up about how there are six genders,” Vance said. “He will not shut up about how, quote, ‘God is non-binary.’ I don’t know what the hell that even means, my friends.”
The comments referenced statements Talarico has made in the past that Republicans have increasingly highlighted during the Senate campaign. In a 2021 speech, Talarico described God as nonbinary, which he later explained as an attempt to say that God transcends gender. During a 2021 Texas House debate, he also said modern science recognizes six biological sexes. Talarico has more recently acknowledged that some of his past comments missed the mark.
Republicans have also criticized Talarico over his opposition to restrictions on transgender student athletes while serving in the Texas Legislature.
Vance pushed the issue further Thursday, combining criticism of Talarico’s religious comments with a personal attack on the Democratic nominee.
“He won’t shut up about having traditional Christian values makes you a bigot, and I gotta say, a guy that age who is so obsessed and focused on transgender children — I don’t know about you, but I never want to see that guy’s web browser history,” Vance said. “It’s not a good place. We’d rather be here.”
The attack comes as Talarico has recently moved away from some of his previous positions on transgender issues.
During an interview with Fox News on Wednesday, Talarico said he would oppose transgender athletes competing in girls’ sports when their participation creates concerns about safety or fairness.
“Every sport has to be safe and fair,” Talarico said.
That position represents a change from Talarico’s record in the Texas House, where he previously opposed Republican-backed legislation restricting transgender athletes from competing on teams corresponding with their gender identity.
The cultural issues highlighted by Vance have become an increasingly prominent part of Republican attacks against Talarico as the Texas Senate campaign enters its final weeks. Paxton has also focused on Talarico’s past statements about gender and religion, including during his own appearance at the Republican convention Wednesday.
Vance’s speech went well beyond the Texas Senate race.
The vice president used his appearance to deliver a broader attack on Democrats and to urge Republican voters to participate in November’s elections, when the GOP will be trying to preserve its congressional majorities.
Vance accused Democrats of abandoning their political roots and becoming “the party of hatred.”
“They’re the party that despises America and the people who built it,” Vance said.
His remarks fit the broader theme of the two-day Dallas convention, where Republican leaders have sought to energize the party’s voters ahead of the November elections. President Donald Trump also used the gathering to urge Republicans to vote and protect the party’s control of Congress.
For Vance, the stakes were about more than simply maintaining Republican majorities in Washington.
“I’m asking you, my fellow Republicans, to remember that this November is so much more than red team versus blue team. It’s so much more than having good politicians in Washington,” he said.
“It’s about sending a message to the Democratic Party that if you send your crazies, we’re going to send you packing,” Vance continued. “It’s about fighting for our fellow citizens, for their dreams and for the inheritance of a great nation that all of us are going to leave behind.”
