Seminary

A resurfaced 2025 video of Texas state Rep. James Talarico, a Democratic U.S. Senate candidate, has drawn criticism from conservatives including Sen. Ted Cruz. In the clip, Talarico, a Christian seminarian, called a Texas curriculum requiring biblical references in early education "insidious," arguing it presented Bible stories as historical fact to young children and amounted to "propaganda" and "indoctrination."

Texas Values and First Liberty Institute defended the Bluebonnet English Language Arts curriculum, saying it uses biblical references to build reading comprehension and was widely supported by parents and officials, including Ben Carson. Talarico's campaign said he opposes politicians using scripture for political ends and pointed to his broader stance favoring separation of church and state, citing past comments about protecting students of other faiths from government-imposed religious messaging. The controversy adds to scrutiny of Talarico's positions ahead of his Senate bid, following earlier criticism over his views on transgender youth policy.