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This article is part of 蜜桃影视鈥檚 EDlection 2026 coverage, which takes a look at candidates鈥� education policies and how they might impact the American education system after the 2026 election.

Both Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and state Rep. James Talarico have made Christianity central to their work as elected officials.  

鈥淢y Christian faith is the foundation to my life and public service,鈥� Paxton, a Republican, said in a with a Christian magazine.

Talarico, a rising star in the Democratic Party who with a degree in theological studies, also said his beliefs inspire his views as a lawmaker. 鈥淚 am trying to love my neighbor through public policy,鈥� he . 

But the two candidates for a U.S. Senate seat, neither of which agreed to an interview, couldn鈥檛 be more different when it comes to their views on religion in public schools. Paxton, like Gov. Greg Abbott and the state GOP, argues that the Bible should be woven into a student鈥檚 public school experience, whether that鈥檚 viewing a 10 Commandments poster alongside a list of vocabulary words or reciting the Lord鈥檚 Prayer during math class. But Talarico, who taught middle school English for two years, has been an outspoken critic of what he sees as the state鈥檚 efforts to blur the lines between church and state. 

鈥淚 don鈥檛 want politicians and bureaucrats teaching my faith,鈥� he said last year in , as some districts began adopting a state-approved reading curriculum that includes the life of Jesus, the parables he taught and other biblical material. 鈥淚 want pastors and Sunday School teachers to be teaching my faith.鈥�

In a tight race that could determine control of the Senate 鈥� and break state campaign 鈥� the candidates鈥� religion might not determine who wins. A put Talarico just two percentage points ahead of Paxton. 

鈥淧arty alignment is so strong,鈥� said Leslie Finger, an assistant professor of political science at the University of North Texas. Paxton鈥檚 base of conservatives 鈥渁re people who have voted for Donald Trump multiple times.鈥�

The attorney general鈥檚 legal and ethical record, however, has repelled some longtime Republicans. Paxton was indicted on securities fraud charges in 2015, accused of steering investors to a tech startup that paid him to do so. The case was dismissed last year after . The state House him in 2023 on charges that he accepted bribes to help a donor friend. The state Senate later acquitted him 鈥� an , he said in an interview. He鈥檚 also admitted to , who is divorcing him on 鈥渂iblical grounds.鈥�

鈥淚’m not going to tell you who I’m voting for, but I can tell you I’m not voting for Ken Paxton,鈥� said Glenn Rogers, a former state representative who was among several rural Republicans who after opposing legislation to establish the state鈥檚 new voucher program. 

Private school choice 鈥� an area where education and religion intersect 鈥� is one topic that 鈥減rovides a really sharp contrast between the two candidates,鈥� said Parker Hevron, an associate political science professor at Texas Women鈥檚 University.

In 2023, Paxton issued a stating that vouchers would not violate either the state or U.S. constitutions. This year, he said the comptroller could exclude schools from the state鈥檚 new education savings account program if they had hosted events for the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which the state has labeled a , or had any ties to the Chinese government. Islamic schools , which later added them to the program. 

Talarico a 鈥渟cam鈥� and an effort to 鈥渄ismantle public education.鈥� He wanted whether Texas should have a private school choice program. But his amendment calling for a referendum didn鈥檛 pass, and lawmakers ultimately approved the voucher bill after President Donald Trump with House Republicans, pressuring them to vote in favor.

鈥楾he themes of Christian nationalism鈥�

Rogers, like many Republicans representing rural areas, would hurt public schools. He鈥檚 a pro-gun, anti-abortion conservative, but he voted to impeach Paxton and doesn鈥檛 agree with his party鈥檚 stance on emphasizing Christianity over other religions in public school. 

鈥淐an you show me one single child that has been brought to Christ because the 10 Commandments were posted on the wall?鈥� he asked.

Paxton鈥檚 office has played a leading role in enforcing the state law, passed last year, that to hang the King James Version of the commandments in every classroom. Opponents who sued over the law have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to , and in the meantime, Paxton has launched investigations into to ensure they鈥檙e displaying the . Many were involved in litigation over the requirement.

When the state last year also passed legislation requiring school boards to vote on , he recommended the from the Book of Matthew. 鈥淚n Texas classrooms, we want the word of God opened, the 10 Commandments displayed, and prayers lifted up,鈥� he said in a statement.

Mark Chancey, a religious studies professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, described that press release as a 鈥減lace where all the themes of Christian nationalism come together.鈥� 

鈥淭here’s this very explicit articulation that public schools should be promoting Protestant Christianity,鈥� Chancey said. Talarico, however, frequently denounces Christian nationalism as a radical political movement and 鈥渆mphasizes that public schools are for all citizens, regardless of their religious identities or views on religion.鈥�

Paxton also inserted himself into the state鈥檚 famously contentious battles over curriculum by issuing last year that it was acceptable to integrate 鈥渞eligious literature鈥� into multiple subjects, not just within a standalone course.

The conservative majority on the state board earlier this year when it approved a required reading list that included Bible stories. The state鈥檚 Bluebonnet reading curriculum and its new social studies standards also feature Christianity and biblical material more prominently than other faiths.

While Talarico voted for that rewards districts for adopting state-approved curriculum, he takes issue with how Bluebonnet downplays other world religions.

鈥淚s it true that the state of Texas deleted every mention of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad from the new curriculum, despite him being the most central figure in a religion practiced by half a million Texans?鈥� he asked education Commissioner Mike Morath in 2024. For nearly a half an hour during a that summer, Talarico interrogated the head of the Texas Education Agency about passages where he thought Bluebonnet crossed the line from teaching to preaching. 鈥淗ow do you believe teachers will respond to elementary school students when they ask how a human being can rise from the dead?鈥� 

鈥楾he spectrum of belief鈥�

Talarico鈥檚 progressive views, however, haven鈥檛 earned him much support from evangelical Christians who tend to focus primarily on his past statements and positions about LGBTQ issues. Those include a 2021 incident where he called God non-binary and another where he said there were six genders. He has since acknowledged that he was . 

鈥淭he beliefs of James Talarico are blasphemous,鈥� Robert Jeffress, pastor of First Baptist Dallas, said during the in early September. 鈥淭hey are evil.鈥� 

In 2021, Talarico voted against a ban on transgender athletes competing on teams that align with their gender identity. Now he says he鈥檚 against allowing trans students to play girls鈥� sports if it鈥檚 . 

But Leslie Winters, a former Moms for Liberty chapter chair, is not convinced. Talarico, she said, that would require health insurers to cover 鈥渄etransitioning鈥� care for those who want to reverse medical or surgical procedures. 

鈥淣o candidate is perfect. I have friends that have said 鈥榃ell what about Paxton? What about his affairs?鈥� 鈥� she said. 鈥淧axton definitely has his issues, but it’s different when you’re messing with impressionable kids that are clearly confused.鈥�

She鈥檚 in agreement, however, with Talarico on religion in the classroom. 

鈥淚 do not agree with public school teachers being forced to teach excerpts out of the Bible,鈥� said Winters, a Sunday school teacher. 鈥淚t opens a can of worms from teachers that aren’t believers.鈥�

To Rev. Mary Spradlin, a Methodist pastor and district superintendent of a regional group of churches, the two candidates exemplify 鈥渢he spectrum of belief among Christians in our society.鈥�

鈥淧axton quotes scripture to emphasize religious liberty, moral order and traditional social values,鈥� she said. 鈥淭alarico uses scripture to emphasize care for the poor, public service, justice and inclusion.鈥�

On issues related to government programs, Talarico links Jesus鈥� teachings about caring for the sick and hungry to arguments against Republicans cutting food assistance and Medicaid. Those views resonate with Kelly Decker, who has three children in the Fort Worth school district.

鈥淥ur society faces serious moral questions: How much do we take care of the poor? How open should our borders be? Should we invade other countries and topple governments? How much should the rich pay in taxes?鈥� she said. 鈥淚 want James Talarico in D.C. voting his beliefs: to care for our neighbors, to share our bounty, to love the sick, to protect the weak, and the earth. We either believe these things or we don’t.鈥�  

In the past, Paxton鈥檚 political career depended on appealing to Christian conservatives. But even with Trump鈥檚 endorsement, the race is a toss up, with showing Talarico leading Paxton 51% to 49%. It鈥檚 an unfamiliar place, Hevron said. 

鈥淧axton has always been very clever at seizing on the cultural issue of the day that will rile up the Republican base in Texas,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut he hasn’t really ever had to run a statewide campaign where he has to convince voters to vote for him.鈥�

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