James Talarico is a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives, representing a district in the Austin, Texas area. He first won election to the Texas legislature in 2018 while still in his twenties, and has focused on public education funding, teacher pay, and criminal justice issues. He is also a seminary student (at Princeton Theological Seminary and previously Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary) and is known for blending progressive politics with outspoken Christian faith, often pushing back against the use of religion to justify conservative policies. He has gained national attention through viral speeches, op-eds, and media interviews on topics like religious liberty, book bans, and the separation of church and state, and has been mentioned as a possible future statewide or congressional candidate in Texas.