The Texas Senate candidate referred to as Tellerico voted for defunding the police.
Posted by The Benny Show, Checked
- Sources
- 4 contradict1 support2 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 60%
The Benny ShowOct 28, 2026
The claim concerns James Talarico (the post's 'Tellerico'). No source reports Talarico voting to defund the police; CNN's investigation found he avoided endorsing defunding and points to votes for appropriations that increased law enforcement funding, and he has said he never supported defunding. The post's claim is an attack characterization that the available coverage does not substantiate.
What was said
… I got votes. He voted for boys and girls sports. He voted for transgender surgery. Listen, those are, as Trump says, those are 90-10 issues, and in Texas, so he's going to lose on those issues. He was in favor of Joe Biden's open border policies. He voted for defunding the police. I mean, every issue, this is 90-10 issue. He was on the 10% side, so he's going to be very easy to beat. It's gonna be toast. Yeah, so, ah, uh, the elephant, I guess, part of last question: the elephant. You just had a giant elephant. I just saw it. …
The Benny Show · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Contradicts. CNN's K-file investigation found Talarico avoided endorsing 'defund the police' in 2020 and his campaign points to state appropriations votes that increased law enforcement funding.[1][2]
Contradicts. Talarico stated he is 'not, nor have ever been, for defunding the police,' and cites roughly $56 billion allocated to law enforcement agencies in the legislature.[3][4]
Supports. Republican critics, including the RNC spokesperson, assert that Talarico voted for or supported defunding the police, and Paxton calls his record anti-police, but these are partisan characterizations rather than documented votes.[3][5]
Context. Coverage of the 2020 'rich' remark and a campaign-funding donation to a group wanting to defund Austin police describes his associations, not a recorded vote to defund.[3][6][7]
Sources
7 sources: 1 tier 2, 6 not rated
- 1What James Talarico told a pro-defund the police group in ...cnn.com · tier 2 · cited for: contradicts
- 2What James Talarico told a pro-defund the police group in ...edition.cnn.com · not rated · cited for: contradicts
- 3Paxton says Talarico one of the most anti-police politicians in Texas historytexarkanagazette.com · not rated · cited for: contradicts, supports, context
- 4Paxton paints Talarico as one of the most anti-police politicians in Texas historykdhnews.com · not rated · cited for: contradicts
- 5GOP combs Talarico's archives to cast him as radical leftisttexastribune.org · not rated · cited for: supports
- 6James Talarico told a pro-defund the police group in 2020 ...x.com · not rated · cited for: context
- 7Talarico put on defense after 2020 comments about defunding ...yahoo.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
- The Texas Senate candidate referred to as Tellerico voted for transgender surgery.False
- James Talarico voted to defund the police.False
- James Talarico is leading in most polls for the Texas Senate race.True
- James Talarico voted to allow violent criminals out on zero dollar cash bail.True
- James Talarico is a candidate for the Texas Senate in 2026.True