Talarico’s Record Includes Votes Against Bail Reform, Crime Penalties, and Police Funding Measures

Democrat U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico has a lengthy record from his time in the Texas Legislature, where he voted against several bills addressing bail, criminal penalties, and police funding.

Talarico has served in the Texas Legislature since 2018, first representing House District 52 and then House District 50 since 2023. During his tenure, he has voted against multiple bills addressing crime and public safety.

During the 87th Legislative Session, Talarico voted against House Bill 20, legislation considered during a special session that restricted cashless personal bonds and tightened bail conditions for defendants accused of violent or sexual crimes. He also voted against Senate Bill 6, a major bail-reform bill that placed restrictions on personal bonds and charitable bail organizations.

Talarico also voted against House Joint Resolution 4, which became a constitutional amendment restricting bail for certain sex offenses against children and continuous human trafficking.

Additionally, Talarico voted against House Bill 1900, which financially and operationally penalizes large Texas cities that reduce year-over-year funding for their municipal police departments.

During the 88th Legislative Session, Talarico voted against Senate Bill 4, which increased penalties for human smuggling operations and operating a stash house. He also opposed House Bill 17, which allowed local prosecutors to be removed from office if they adopt policies declining to prosecute certain offenses.

In 2025, Talarico was absent for a vote on Senate Bill 955, which increased punishment for human trafficking offenses.

Alongside his record of opposing multiple crime bills, he did support some measures addressing crime and public safety during his time in the Texas Legislature.

During the 88th Legislative Session, Talarico, along with every other Democrat and Republican state representative, voted in favor of House Bill 28, which enhanced the punishment for certain conduct constituting the criminal offense of aggravated assault. 

He also supported Senate Bill 1401, which expanded the rights of sexual-assault victims and changed procedures and reimbursement related to sexual assault and other sex offenses. The bill received bipartisan support, with most Republicans voting in favor.

During the 89th Legislative Session, Talarico voted in favor Senate Joint Resolution 5, which put a constitutional amendment on the ballot that would require the denial of bail under certain circumstances for people accused of certain felony offenses.

However, Talarico kept his streak of opposing the Second Amendment, when he authored House Bill 5025, which would have created a criminal offense for individuals who carry handguns on the premises of a public library. The bill did not advance out of the House Homeland Security, Public Safety, and Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

In addition to his voting record, in 2020, Talarico’s campaign committee donated $2,500 to the Austin Justice Coalition in 2020. The donation was made during Talarico’s 2020 Texas House campaign, according to The Texan.

The Austin Justice Coalition is an advocacy group that pushed for cuts to the Austin Police Department’s budget following the death of George Floyd in 2020.

Talarico’s voting record has also drawn scrutiny in other areas, including his record on the Second Amendment, his positions on border security, and his record on tax legislation.

Madison Cercy, a spokesperson for Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton’s campaign, told the Daily Signal that Talarico has the “most consistently anti-law enforcement record in the Texas Legislature.”

“If it were up to Talarico, we would hand our communities over to the radicals who fought to defund our police and let criminals out of prison in pursuit of his socialist agenda,” Cercy said.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026.

Talarico’s campaign did not respond to the Daily Signal’s request for comment by the time of publication.