Texas Democrat Talarico's Senate bid unravels as Black civic group blasts him and church video exposes faith row

James Talarico, the Democratic Senate candidate for Texas, is battling crises on multiple fronts as his campaign struggles to hold together a coalition it needs to unseat Republican John Cornyn. A Black civic group with 325 confirmed registrants says his campaign cancelled their event, left them with an irrecoverable financial loss, and has made no effort to reschedule. At a CNN town hall, Talarico admitted his past remarks calling God nonbinary were "provocative" and done "in an annoying way." He also faces a lawsuit over a campaign slogan he is using to appeal to conservative voters.

The Central Texas African American Civic Engagement Symposium said the cancellation was "a missed opportunity" to address community scepticism about his commitment to Black Texans.

An undercover video from Talarico's own church has reportedly horrified megachurch pastors and deepened doubts about whether his faith-based pitch to conservatives can survive scrutiny.

A MAGA lawsuit over his campaign slogan adds to the legal and political pressure bearing down on a candidate already written off by many as too far left for Texas.