Newsweek, October 2026
Texas Senate candidate James Talarico’s clash with a voter over abortion rights earlier this month quickly went viral, and it could prove the difference in a race where most polls show the split with Republican Ken Paxton within the margin of error. Self-described “one-issue voter” Jodi Hunt asked during a CNN town hall on October 14 how Talarico, a state lawmaker and Presbyterian seminarian, could be trusted to protect the lives of all Texans when he supports abortion rights. Social media clips of the exchange have collectively reached millions, speaking to the strength of feeling on both sides across the country. Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, the U.S. has adopted a patchwork of laws, clearing the way for states to restrict abortion.
In response to Hunt, Talarico said the Bible “was silent on abortion” and spoke of the deadly consequences of Texas’ abortion ban. Hunt replied: “I just want to add that the Bible is not silent on abortion. There is the Ten Commandments: ‘Thou shall not kill.'” In Texas, few rank abortion rights as their top issue, yet many want change or think it has been poorly handled, polling suggests. Only 2 percent of the 861 likely voters surveyed selected abortion as their “most important” issue in a poll conducted by the University of Texas and the Texas Politics Project from September 25 to October 5. Meanwhile, issues such as the cost of living (21 percent) and the economy (15 percent) have dominated the race. The survey has a margin of error plus or minus 3.34 percentage points.
