Dan Patrick Says Democrat James Talarico 'Going to Hell' Over Use of Religion in Campaign
Talarico responded to Patrick’s religious criticism by accusing him of putting wealthy donors ahead of working Texans.

SOURCE CHECK
TAP FOR WHYLatin Times is a national news publisher with an identified author, and the article attributes direct quotations and poll findings to named sources. The brief report offers limited context and does not provide much detail about the polls or the underlying campaign-finance filings.
- Source type — A national news outlet; a moderate institutional credibility prior.
- Transparency — The article names the polling sources and attributes the finance information to filings, but provides limited detail.
- Author attribution — An author is identified.
- Editorial standards — The short article uses attributed quotations and claims, but the page offers little evidence here about correction practices or reporting standards.
The report includes direct quotations from both Patrick and Talarico and identifies polling and campaign-finance sources. Its short length limits context about the campaign remarks, the polls’ methods and the competing candidates’ positions.
HOW WE SCORE ↗The report includes Patrick’s remarks and Talarico’s reply, along with polling and fundraising context. It does not offer independent analysis of the religious dispute or detailed context for the polling and finance claims.
- Counterarguments presented — Talarico's response appears alongside Patrick's criticism.
- Source diversity — The article includes statements from both candidates' sides and cites polling and campaign-finance sources.
- Omitted context — The report gives little detail on the substance of Talarico's religious messaging or the poll methods.
- Loaded language — The most charged wording is attributed directly to Patrick and Talarico.
The article reports both Patrick’s criticism and Talarico’s response in largely descriptive language. Its framing does not clearly favor either candidate.
- Language tone — The article describes the remarks and response without adopting their claims.
- Source selection — It quotes both Patrick and Talarico and includes polling information from named sources.
- Framing — The article frames the story as a campaign dispute rather than endorsing either side.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick told a Republican convention that Senate candidate James Talarico was “going to hell” over what Patrick called Talarico’s use of religion in the campaign. Talarico responded by accusing Patrick of favoring wealthy donors over working Texans.
Speaking at the Republican Party of Texas convention in Houston, Patrick criticized Talarico’s interpretation of Christianity, called him “crazy” and urged Republicans to unite behind their Senate race. Patrick said Talarico was “going to hell” if he campaigned against God. Talarico responded in a statement on X, accusing Patrick of selling out poor, sick and vulnerable people to enrich donors.
The article describes the Texas Senate contest as competitive. It reports that a May Texas Public Opinion Research poll put Talarico ahead of Ken Paxton, 47% to 44%, while a more recent Texas Pulse poll cited by The Hill had both candidates at 46%, with Talarico ahead among independents. Talarico’s campaign also reported having $7.5 million more cash on hand than Paxton, based on Federal Election Commission filings.
Community verdict
8 VOTESPeople in this story
SWIPE →Democratic Senate candidate criticized by Dan Patrick over his campaign's use of religion
Republican Senate nominee and Talarico’s opponent
Part of a bigger story
12 OUTLETSAt the Texas Republican convention, Dan Patrick criticized Senate candidate James Talarico’s biblical views and said he would go to hell. Talarico responded by accusing Patrick of enriching donors at vulnerable people’s expense. Left-leaning outlets present Patrick’s religious condemnation and Talarico’s donor-focused rebuttal as an attributed exchange. Center outlets report both speakers’ accusations without adopting either claim. Right-leaning outlets also report both remarks, while some coverage gives a sharper portrayal of Talarico’s religious views.
- ARTICLES
- 12
- OUTLETS
- 12
- AVG CRED
- 59
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