Faith takes center stage as Democrat hunts Texas Senate seat amid evangelical backlash

Democratic state Rep. James Talarico makes faith a central theme in his bid to flip Texas’s Senate seat, arguing for love and compassion while courting faith-based voters — a strategy that has drawn praise from supporters but provoked backlash from evangelical conservatives who accuse him of blasphemy and misrepresenting Christianity. The race against Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton remains tight, complicated by Paxton’s own evangelical image and past scandals, and reflects the broader dynamic of religion in Texas politics.