Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico, known for his faith-centered campaign, has drawn attention for following adult performers and escorts on Instagram, prompting explanations from his team.
According to a report from AXIOS, James Talarico, a Texas Democrat running for the U.S. Senate, follows several adult film actors, escorts, and OnlyFans models on Instagram. Talarico, 36, a seminarian and state House member, has positioned his Christian faith at the center of his campaign, aiming to win back Christians who have left the Democratic Party.
Talarico’s spokesperson, JT Ennis, told Axios, “The social media team — including James — follows back and engages with supporters who have large followings and does not investigate their backgrounds.” The accounts followed by Talarico typically have at least 50,000 followers. Talarico’s Instagram account has more than 1.7 million followers, though he follows only about 3,700 people.
Axios found that Talarico follows 10 Instagram accounts linked to adult content, including performers like @honky_tonkangel, known as Giselle Palmer. Earlier this year, he “liked” posts from an Austin-based OnlyFans and EscortBook account. Ennis added, “James has never subscribed to Only Fans or an escort service. While James was unaware of how these women make money, he does not judge them for it and will not play into an effort to smear them for clickbait articles.”
Talarico has received praise from former President Obama, who called him “terrific” and “really talented,” and podcaster Joe Rogan, who encouraged him to run for president. He remains a leading contender in the Democratic primary for one of the nation’s most-watched Senate races in 2026.