Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico faced a testy exchange during a CBS Texas interview this week after being confronted over his 2019 vote against a bill that would have permanently banned state income taxes.
Reporter Jack Fink pressed Talarico on why, as a state legislator in 2019, he voted against the measure—a vote that Republicans have seized on in the campaign. When Talarico attempted to defend his vote by claiming an income tax was “already banned,” Fink quickly reminded him that the legislation would have made the ban permanent.
The measure in question required a two-thirds majority in both the Texas House and Senate to ever impose an income tax. It passed both chambers and was approved by Texas voters on the November 2019 ballot, embedding the restriction in the state constitution.
Talarico then offered a scrambled response, labeling the Republican-backed effort to codify the prohibition as “duplicative government overreach at its worst” and accusing Republicans of “trying to grandstand on an issue.” According to Talarico, the push to lower taxes amounted to “government overreach.”
He further claimed that the legislation “did nothing” and insisted he has “always” opposed income taxes, despite his 2019 vote. “I’m against an income tax in Texas, always have been,” Talarico said. “But I’m going to be against any lawmaker in any party who’s just trying to do a stunt on the floor instead of solving problems.”
The exchange comes after The Gateway Pundit reported that Talarico openly boasted about his intentions to raise taxes on the wealthy during a panel discussion with liberal billionaire Mark Cuban and Fox News co-host Jessica Tarlov.
“I’ve told every wealthy person I’ve come across in this race: If you are okay with getting taxed more, if you’re okay with me limiting your influence in politics, you are welcome to join this movement that we are building,” Talarico reportedly said, thanking Cuban for his support.
The 2019 vote and Talarico’s subsequent comments are likely to remain a focal point as he campaigns for the Senate in a state where opposition to income taxes is a deeply held political stance.
Source: www.thegatewaypundit.com — https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/09/watch-james-talarico-called-during-interview-voting-against/