Standing in front of a podium which read “love thy neighbour”, the new senator-elect for Texas told his supporters that they were his “slingshot” that “defeated Goliath”.
James Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian, has won the first US Senate seat for the Democrats since 1988. It was one of the biggest upsets in a night which saw Republicans lose control of Congress, a major blow to Donald Trump.
The 37-year-old told the cheering crowd: “Now the real work begins. Two thousand years ago, when the people at the top hurt His neighbors, that barefoot rabbi didn't stay in a room and pray. He walked into the seat of power, and He flipped over the tables of injustice … as we head to the United States Senate, we know what this moment requires of us, Texas. It's time to start flipping tables.”
Talarico put his Christian faith front and centre of his campaign, describing himself as following a “politics of love” that is “guided by two commandments: love God and love your neighbour”. But his opponents had criticised him for his support for LGBT and reproductive rights.
Dr Jared Stacy, theologian and ethicist who specialises in the intersection between politics and Christianity, told Premier Christian News Talarico represented a “huge change” in how Democrats were now appealing to faith in elections.
He said: “Christian nationalism has never meant Christians involved in politics, so appealing to faith in a pluralistic democracy can be a strength. It does not have to be a liability. There will be a renewed interest in appealing to people in terms of their beliefs, and I'm all for that.”
But Talarico’s stance on sexuality and abortion have drawn disapproval from others. George Olson, director of geopolitical and economic research at think tank Orbis-Sentry, told Premier: “There’s a lot of controversy about him, claiming to be a Christian. He actually holds views that are very inerrant to Christianity and that’s one of the primary objections that Christian people [in Texas] have to him.”
Olson believes the unpopularity of Republican candidate Ken Paxton, who was impeached by the Texas House of Representatives on corruption charges but acquitted by the state Senate, motivated many voters. He added that “if the political winds change [Talarico’s Christianity] could become a real liability”, depending on how he votes in the Senate.
Sarah Elliott from Republican Overseas said Talarico had an “interesting” interpretation of Christianity because of his views on LGBT issues, but was willing to see how he served in Congress.
She told Premier: “If he’s able to ethically serve in the US. Senate and live by example and live out his faith, I think that is great for everybody, especially the Democratic Party, which has a very low faith-based contingent, as most people who practice the Christian religion are in the Republican Party. So, it would be wonderful if he could lead more people to Christ in the Democratic Party.”