Talarico Courts Muslim Voters While Defending Interfaith Views– www.dailysignal.com
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EXCERPT:
Democrat U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico attended an event in Irving, Texas, that was dedicated to speaking with the Muslim community.
Talarico held a meet-and-greet with the Muslim Democrat Caucus of Irving, where he met with Richardson Mayor Amir Omar, Councilman Fahad Ahmed of Irving, state Rep. Salman Bhojani, and Nima Bhojani.
The event, held at a halal barbecue restaurant, Kafi Barbeque, aligns with Talarico’s record of supporting Islamic ideology and acting on behalf of that community.
Amy Mek, founder and editor-in-chief of RAIR Foundation USA, highlighted some of Talarico’s past Islamic advocacy in an X post. She noted that Talarico is endorsed by Emgage Action, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit “advocating for Muslim American communities,” which has links to the Council on American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR.
Talarico, who serves in the Texas Legislature, authored and helped push House Bill 2039 in 2021, legislation intended to strip explicit naming of Christian ministers and Jewish rabbis from marriage law so imams could perform marriage ceremonies. The bill was written by Muslim activists and specifically thanked Insiya Aziz of Emgage Action for her role and testimony on the bill.
HB 2039 passed the House but was left to die in the Senate.
In 2025, Talarico also joined Bhojani to author House Bill 1044, legislation that would have added Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, and Sikh officiants to Texas marriage law. That bill retained Christian ministers, priests, and Jewish rabbis. It did not receive a vote in the House.