Support for more gun control is slipping nationally. But in Texas, James Talarico is running competitively for the U.S. Senate despite a lengthy record of voting against gun rights and supporting new restrictions on firearms.
That should get the attention of every Texas gun owner.
Talarico has built a significant political following, but many Texans may still be unfamiliar with what his record actually says about the Second Amendment.
Americans Are Cooling on Gun Control
A recent Rasmussen Reports survey cited by the National Shooting Sports Foundation found that 48 percent of likely voters believe America needs stricter gun-control laws, while 43 percent disagree. That’s down from October 2024, when Rasmussen found 51 percent supporting stricter laws.
NSSF also points to declining support for banning so-called “assault weapons.” Gallup found support for reinstating a federal ban at 52 percent in 2024, down from 61 percent in 2019.
The Constitution doesn’t depend on polling, but these numbers undermine the claim that Americans are overwhelmingly demanding more gun control.
Talarico’s Record Tells Another Story
Despite that national trend, Talarico has emerged as a serious contender for the U.S. Senate in Texas.
As The Daily Signal notes, his record on guns deserves much more attention:
Talarico voted against Constitutional Carry in 2021.
He voted against Texas’ Second Amendment Sanctuary legislation.
He voted against legislation challenging federal regulation of Texas-made suppressors.
His record goes beyond opposing pro-gun bills. Talarico has expressed support for an “assault weapons” ban and a so-called “large capacity” magazine ban.
During a 2023 Texas House debate over restricting firearm purchases by adults under 21, Talarico invoked his Christian faith and argued that lawmakers who failed to act were “ignoring God’s messengers.”
More recently, he has publicly argued that the Second Amendment is “not absolute.”
Texas Gun Owners Need to Know Who Talarico Is
Talarico’s political popularity makes his voting record more important. Texas gun owners should know that behind the carefully crafted public image is a lawmaker who repeatedly opposed some of the biggest Second Amendment victories passed by the Texas Legislature. And now he wants a vote in the United States Senate.
“James Talarico can call his positions whatever he wants, but his voting record speaks for itself,” said Chris McNutt, President of Texas Gun Rights. “When Texans fought for Constitutional Carry and other major Second Amendment victories, Talarico voted against us. Now he wants Texans to send him to the U.S. Senate, and gun owners deserve to know exactly what they would be getting.”
Nationally, the gun-control agenda may be losing support. But that will mean little if Texas gun owners don’t know the records of the politicians asking for their votes. Texas Gun Rights will continue exposing those records and making sure Texans know exactly where candidates stand on the Second Amendment.