James Talarico hit with ‘gay’ accusation before his very real, ally girlfriend is named
Democrat candidate for US Senate James Talarico (Image: Getty Images)
Republicans have accused Texas Democratic US Senate candidate James Talarico of inventing a girlfriend to hide that he is gay, but his girlfriend has been identified as 30-year-old Brianna Menard.
Fox News host Jesse Watters recently branded Talarico a “gay vegan” before later adding he was neither. However Watters’ co-host Greg Gutfeld appeared to question whether his girlfriend actually existed, saying: “Does she live in Canada?”
A widely shared X clip of Talarico reacting to his love life going viral shows him saying: “This is what people hate about politics.” It comes just days after a White House staff member said Talarico was “transgender”, which is also untrue.
Menard is Talarico’s former chief of staff, and is a registered lobbyist who is the director of TEXPAC, a nonpartisan branch of the Texas Medical Association.
The Texas Medical Association is described as supporting gender-affirming care and championing nondiscrimination policies for LGBTQ+ people in healthcare spaces.
Menard’s bio also says she loves to dance at Cheer Up Charlies, described as a queer-owned vegan bar in Austin.
Girlfriend named after online smear
Talarico said he initially tried to keep Menard’s name out of the public eye for safety reasons.
“What I’m trying to do is protect her and my family and my friends from the impacts of this race,” he said in a May interview with the San Antonio Current.
In the same interview, he said he and Menard have been together for four years, and that they met while she was his chief of staff, with Menard leaving the role once their relationship became romantic.
After her identity was revealed, Talarico said: “I hope that we can keep this race focused on what matters, my record and my plans for the people of Texas.”
Campaign attacks
Talarico has quickly made himself a target of attacks from the GOP due to his pro-LGBTQ+ comments.
President Donald Trump branded him an “insult to Jesus” after he said God was “non-binary”. He has also showed support for the trans community, which saw him targeted by Trump again.
His Texas opponent Paxton went on to brand him “weird” for his pro-trans stance too.
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