There are a lot of good reasons for Texans to not vote for U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico, but his stance on guns—including his support for a ban on common semi-automatic rifles—is one of the biggest ones.
And that anti-gun activism is what the National Rifle Association is concentrating on in a new television advertisement. The 30-second advertisement is one component of the NRA’s multi-million-dollar investment to retain pro-gun majorities in Congress ahead of the critical November midterm elections.
“James Talarico has been coming for our guns for years,” the narrator in the ad said, followed by video of Talarico twice answering that he wants to ban so-called “assault weapons.” “Yes, he’d outlaw the most popular firearms in Texas.”
According to a news report from NRA’s Institute for Legislative Actin, in a 2020 video, Talarico endorsed a ban on assault weapons and commonly owned magazines. When asked more recently on NewsNation whether an assault weapons ban remains “on the table,” he replied simply: “Absolutely.”
Talarico’s opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, on the other hand, is a pro-gun stalwart who has never shied away from his support for the Second Amendment. In fact, Paxton’s primary opponent, Sen. John Cornyn, was defeated largely because of aiding the Biden Administration in passage of a gun control measure that directly impacted Second Amendment rights.
For gun owners, that support for the right to keep and bear arms is critical in this important Senate race.
“With control of the Senate up for grabs, Talarico sides with the most radical gun-grabbers in Washington,” the ad stated. “Don’t be left defenseless. Vole like you rights depend on it Defeat James Talarico.”
John Commerford, chairman of NRA’s Political Victory Fund, said not only is Talarico’s position clear, but it is also disqualifying for a Texas Senate candidate.
“By vowing to vote for a so-called assault weapons ban if elected to the Senate, James Talarico kicked a hornet’s nest,” Commerford said. “Nearly half of Texas households have guns, and millions of law-abiding Texans own the very rifles and standard-capacity magazines he would ban. Gun owners will decide this election—and Talarico just gave them another reason to vote.”
The NRA has identified defeating Talarico—whom the organization has called “Beto 2.0”—as a top priority in Texas. Talarico’s legislative record includes voting against constitutional carry and supporting stricter gun-control measures. His candidacy threatens the pro-gun majority in the U.S. Senate and the Second Amendment rights of Texans and all Americans if he were to be elected.
In conjunction with its advertising campaign, the NRA is deploying its Gun Bus on a battleground tour through Texas and executing its traditional get-out-the-vote program to energize and mobilize Second Amendment supporters ahead of Election Day. According to the NRA, the Gun Bus will make multiple stops across the state, offering NRA members and gun owners opportunities to learn about candidates’ records, register to vote, receive issue updates, and join local get-out-the-vote activities.
“The Gun Bus is bringing the fight for freedom directly to Texas communities, backed by the same proven grassroots tools that have mobilized NRA members for decades—millions of Orange Cards, text messages, and door knocking,” Commerford added. “With control of the Senate hanging in the balance, we’re combining our ad campaigns with boots-on-the-ground outreach to ensure gun owners turn out and vote to protect their rights.”
