Texas State Rep. James Talarico, a Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, is facing scrutiny following a joint investigation revealing he cast ballots in five elections using his parents’ residential address after purchasing a home of his own nearby.
According to a report published by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune, Travis County property and voter registration records show Talarico updated his voter registration to his parents’ address in November 2021. In June 2022, he purchased a home located about six miles away in North Austin. However, public records indicate he did not update his registered voting address to his new home until September 2024, continuing to vote using his parents’ address in five primary, general, and local elections during that two-year span.
Texas election law requires residents to register to vote where they actually reside to ensure voters cast ballots in the correct local races. While Talarico’s purchased home remained within his state House district, the location shift placed him in different jurisdictions for certain municipal elections.
The findings come weeks after Talarico publicly accused his U.S. Senate opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, of committing voter fraud under similar circumstances. A previous investigation by the same news outlets reported that Paxton voted in six elections using an address where his estranged wife stated he no longer lived.
In response to the inquiry, Talarico’s campaign spokesperson, JT Ennis, declined to address specific timeline questions regarding residency, citing security concerns after receiving threats from political opponents. Legal experts interviewed by ProPublica noted that Texas residency statutes are broadly worded, and establishing a criminal violation requires proof that a voter intentionally or knowingly broke the law.
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