A Democrat who fights back and gets things done.

About

Texas State Representative James Talarico on the Floor of the Texas House of Representatives.

Together, we’ve accomplished big things in a red state.

We reformed the school finance system, dramatically reduced prescription drug costs, improved the quality and affordability of child care, capped Pre-K class sizes, helped schools fight teen fentanyl overdoses, banned harmful reality TV policing, and gave incarcerated minors a chance to earn a high school diploma. For these achievements, I was named one of the 10 Best Legislators by Texas Monthly magazine.

As a former middle school teacher and one of the youngest elected officials in Texas, I’m not afraid to stand up to Republican extremism. I’ve led the fight against their efforts to bully trans kids, ban books, whitewash our history curriculum, gut public education with a private school voucher scam, and force their Christian Nationalist agenda onto the people of Texas.

Former public school teacher and Texas State Representative James Talarico talking to a child in a Texas public school classroom.

I was born in Central Texas to a single mom who fled abuse to protect me. My mom was a fighter and she taught me that Democrats fight for the people; for the many against the powerful few—whether they’re bullies, bigots, or billionaires. That's why I fight for Texans every day in our state Capitol.

Together, we can keep putting people over politics to move Texas forward.

- State Representative
James Talarico

Accomplishments

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Policing
Reform

After Javier Ambler was killed by police officers filming a reality TV show, we partnered with Javier’s family and criminal justice advocates to pass the Javier Ambler Act––banning police departments from contracting with reality TV programs.

Quality and Affordable Child Care

We dramatically expanded our state’s early childhood quality improvement program, passed Texas’ first-ever cap on Pre-K class sizes, and provided historic tax relief to child care centers — reducing child care costs for working families.

Cheap Prescription Drugs

As a type 1 diabetic, I know that the skyrocketing cost of prescription drugs can be debilitating. That’s why I passed legislation to cap insulin copays in Texas at $25 a month, and why I took on Big Pharma to establish a program to import low-cost prescription drugs from Canada — saving Texans 60-70% on commonly used medications.

School
Finance
Reform

As a member of the House Public Education Committee, I helped pass the most significant school finance bill our state has seen in decades, dedicating billions of additional dollars for our schools and providing much-needed property tax relief. In the face of a historic student mental health crisis, we also opened up millions of dollars for student mental health and character education programs.

Bold,
Progressive Legislation

I’m committed to building momentum for bold, progressive ideas — no matter how long it takes. I’ve introduced ambitious legislation to give every Texas teacher a $15,000 raise, legalize marijuana, combat climate change, and repeal anti-union laws that keep workers from organizing.

Youth Justice Transformation

We passed legislation to give every incarcerated minor the opportunity to earn a high school diploma and to increase accountability within the scandal-plagued Texas Juvenile Justice Department. And we’ve introduced bold legislation to close Texas’ remaining child prisons and build a system focused on true rehabilitation and, therefore, true public safety.

Fighting the Fentanyl Crisis

While some politicians are exploiting the fentanyl crisis to fearmonger, we’re taking action. We passed legislation to equip every Texas public school with Narcan—the life-saving opioid reversal medication—to fight teen overdoses with real solutions instead of failed war-on-drug policies.

Pet
Safety

Two years ago, an overnight fire killed 75 loyal companions at a dog kennel in our community. Many of the pet owners had no idea their pets would be left unattended overnight. To prevent this tragedy from ever happening again, I passed legislation to improve kennel safety across the state of Texas.