Live updates: James Talarico debates voters at Texas town hall

Key Points:

• Texas Senate candidate James Talarico returned to the campaign trail after a brief absence due to the flu, addressing conspiracy theories about his health during a CNN and Jubilee Media town hall with a mixed audience of voters.
• On key issues, Talarico advocated for a “robust public option” in healthcare, an “all of the above” energy approach supporting both oil and renewables, and called for banning super PACs and closing billionaire tax loopholes to reduce the national debt.
• He emphasized balanced immigration reform, supported aid to Ukraine as a cost-saving measure, criticized Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu while endorsing a two-state solution, and condemned voter suppression efforts in Texas as “un-American.”
• Talarico expressed support for “fair voter ID” laws, highlighting inconsistencies in Texas policies, but avoided directly answering questions about the Save America Act, focusing instead on representing Texas interests over party lines.
• He framed abortion as a public policy issue, supported some abortion access, and endorsed a national ban on gender-affirming surgeries for transgender youth under 18, while labeling Republican opponent Ken Paxton as “the most corrupt politician in Texas.”