In early October 2026, clips circulated of James Talarico telling a parishioner his position had not changed and telling Fox he opposes trans athletes in girls' sports. A May clip then surfaced showing him waving a transgender flag while killing a bill to keep boys out of girls' sports. He now says he regrets how he phrased past gender remarks, not standing up for constituents, and has called denying a child's gender identity abusive. The discussion centers on whether he is walking back a ten-year record to survive a general election. Mailers posing as a transgender advocacy group are also reaching Texas homes asking about emancipation and school bathrooms.