Democratic Texas Senate candidate James Talarico has drawn criticism after reports revealed he assigned sixth-grade students in a San Antonio public school to write “Obama memoirs” reflecting on the 2008 presidential election. The assignment asked students to write from the perspective of a member of the Obama family, celebrating former President Barack Obama’s election.
Details of the Classroom Assignment and Public Reaction
Talarico posted on Facebook in 2012 about the assignment, stating, “Today, we finished writing our Obama memoirs,” and shared examples of student work, including one written from Obama’s child’s point of view. A displayed “Wall of Fame” in his classroom featured more than a dozen such memoirs, along with photos and campaign symbols related to Obama’s presidency.
Corey DeAngelis, a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation and school choice advocate, labeled the assignment as “disqualifying” for someone seeking a Senate seat. Conservative commentators and the National Republican Senatorial Committee questioned the neutrality of Talarico’s teaching, noting the political nature of the assignment and his encouragement for students to watch the Democratic National Convention keynote speech by Julián Castro in 2012.
Talarico’s Teaching Record and Political Response
Additional criticism has arisen from Talarico’s social media posts showing his classroom promoting “free thinkers” that included politicians and public figures primarily aligned with progressive causes. No conservative or Republican figures were included in these displays.
In response to the backlash, Talarico’s campaign press secretary emphasized that attacks from Republican opponents represent fear of his efforts to change Texas politics and focus on working-class voters. Talarico will face either incumbent Sen. John Cornyn or Attorney General Ken Paxton in the November general election, following their ongoing runoff primary battle.
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