Talarico Claims Bible Is 'Silent' on Abortion and Says Ten-Year-Old Girls 'Need Abortion Care'

James Talarico said the Bible is 'silent' on abortion during a CNN-Jubilee town hall in Fort Worth on Wednesday, 14 October 2026. Catholic voter Jodi Hunt challenged the Texas Democratic Senate candidate, then said she was impressed with him despite remaining undecided.

Talarico had returned to campaigning after nine days away from public appearances. He said he had been recovering from flu. The Texas state representative faces Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in the 3 November Senate election, with early voting due to begin on 19 October.

Hunt, a farmer and university professor from Burleson, described herself as a Catholic theologian. She asked how Talarico could persuade voters who regarded protecting unborn life as their overriding concern.

Jodi Hunt Challenges James Talarico's Reading of Scripture

During the CNN-Jubilee town hall, Talarico told Hunt that 'the Bible is silent on the issue of abortion'. He argued that Christians must interpret different biblical passages before reaching ethical conclusions, rather than assuming they would agree on abortion law.

Hunt immediately objected. Citing the Ten Commandments, she invoked the words 'Thou shalt not kill' and said Catholics could find Talarico's description offensive. She explained that Catholic teaching regards human life as deserving protection from conception.

It was a dispute about interpretation, not a factual finding about what scripture requires. Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian, said he did not believe abortion amounted to murder. Hunt held the opposite view.

The Democrat had faced similar criticism before. In May, evangelist Franklin Graham challenged his claim about the Bible, invoking biblical passages concerning the protection of life.

Talarico nevertheless looked for common ground beyond the theological argument. He said he wanted fewer unintended pregnancies and fewer abortions, suggesting that public policy offered an area for cooperation.

His proposals included age-appropriate sex education, access to contraception and healthcare. He argued those measures could lower abortion numbers, although he did not identify particular studies during the exchange.

Hunt was unconvinced about every proposal. She said parents should be their children's primary educators and expressed concern about government involvement in what children learn. Still, she acknowledged their shared concern for protecting life.

James Talarico Raises Young Girls and Texas Abortion Restrictions

The exchange became more pointed when Talarico criticised Texas's abortion laws. He said girls as young as 10 needed abortion care but could not obtain it in the state. He also alleged women were dying from sepsis in hospital car parks because doctors feared intervening.

The candidate did not identify patients or present medical records substantiating those specific examples at the town hall. Neither claim was independently substantiated at the event.

Texas's near-total criminal abortion prohibition took effect in August 2022. However, Chapter 170A of the state's Health and Safety Code provides an exception for certain life-threatening physical conditions during pregnancy, including serious risks to major bodily functions.

The Life of the Mother Act, effective 20 June 2025, clarified that doctors need not wait until those risks become imminent before acting. The state does not provide a general exception solely for rape or incest.

Doctors who perform prohibited abortions can face felony penalties. A first-degree offence, applicable where an unborn child dies as a result, can carry life imprisonment. The law excludes pregnant patients from penalties under that chapter.

The existence of a medical exception does not settle concerns about how quickly patients receive treatment. A ProPublica investigation documented the death of 18-year-old Nevaeh Crain following repeated emergency visits in October 2023, raising questions about delays in her care.

Crain died in hospital, not in a car park. Her case does not verify Talarico's precise allegation, nor does it independently establish his claim about 10-year-old girls denied care.

Hunt later told CNN she agreed that women's health required protection, even while opposing abortion. She said Talarico had addressed her concerns rather than avoiding them.

'I was really impressed with him this evening,' she said, while describing herself as 'largely still undecided.' She intended to reflect on the conversation through prayer before making up her mind about the election.