Talarico Faces Backlash Over 2020 Pro-defund Remarks

WHO:

Fox News - James Talarico, Texas Democratic state Representative, is involved in the controversy.

CNN - Talarico is running for the US Senate.

CNN - JT Ennis is Talarico's campaign spokesperson.

CNN - Jeffries is mentioned as a Democratic leader reacting to Talarico's situation.

WHAT:

Fox News - Talarico's campaign denies he supported defunding police after a 2020 video resurfaced.

CNN - Talarico stated in 2020 that it was “rich” that “defund the police” was considered taboo.

CNN - Talarico's campaign described claims of his support for defunding police as a “flat-out lie.”

CNN - Talarico's campaign has voted for state appropriations bills that increased funding for law enforcement.

CNN - Talarico's campaign contributed $2,500 to the Austin Justice Coalition in June 2020.

CNN - Talarico criticized Austin's Proposition A in 2021, which aimed to maintain police officer ratios.

WHERE:

CNN - The comments were made during a call with Texas Rising, a progressive advocacy group.

CNN - The controversy is centered in Texas, particularly in Talarico's swing district.

WHEN:

CNN - Talarico's comments about defunding police were made in late summer 2020.

CNN - Talarico's campaign against Proposition A occurred in 2021.

CNN - Talarico's remarks about policing and social services were made in 2022.

WHY:

CNN - Talarico argued that the “defund” slogan was getting a hostile reaction in his community.

CNN - Talarico's campaign claims he was criticizing Republicans for attacking the phrase “defund the police” while supporting cuts to public priorities.

HOW:

CNN - Talarico suggested that police should not respond to minor traffic accidents or mental health crises.

CNN - Talarico proposed sending “highly trained crisis interventionists” to some emergencies.

CNN - Talarico's campaign argued for better funding for mental health resources to reduce police involvement in mental health emergencies.

(UPDATED October 6, 2026 02:13 UTC)

Texas Democratic state Representative James Talarico is currently facing controversy as he runs for the U.S. Senate, with his campaign spokesperson, JT Ennis, denying claims that Talarico supported defunding the police after a video from 2020 resurfaced. Talarico, who has previously criticized the "defund the police" slogan and voted for state appropriations that increased law enforcement funding, described the allegations as a “flat-out lie” while advocating for better mental health resources and crisis intervention. The situation has drawn reactions from Democratic leaders, including Jeffries, and is centered in Talarico's swing district in Texas, where he has argued that police should not respond to minor incidents or mental health crises.