Talarico faces backlash for sixth-grader ‘Obama memoirs’ assignment
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Democratic darling and Texas Senate candidate James Talarico is outraged after it was revealed that, as a public school teacher in San Antonio, he had sixth-grade students write “Obama memoirs” to celebrate his election.
Corey DeAngelis, a school choice advocate and research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, called the post “disqualifying” for a Senate candidate in Texas.
One Facebook post In Talarico’s post dated November 13, 2012, he said, “We finished writing our Obama memoirs today,” explaining that “students wrote their Election Night memoir from the perspective of a member of the Obama family.”
One of the memories Talarico shared showed one of his students writing as if he were former President Barack Obama’s child, saying, “I was crying when my father gave his speech,” and praising “the beautiful words that came out of his mouth” in his election night speech.
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Texas Senate Democratic candidate James Talarico is under fire for assigning an “Obama memoirs” assignment to sixth graders in 2012. (John Moore/Getty Images; Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
The Democratic Party has high hopes that Talarico, a progressive state representative, can flip the crucial Senate seat blue and become the first Democratic senator from Texas in decades. But since winning the party’s nomination, many have pointed out his history of progressive statements, including saying “God is non-binary” and using the Bible to justify abortion.
in another way Facebook postOn Nov. 16, 2012, Talarico shared a picture of a poster board full of Obama memorabilia with a banner reading “Mr. Talarico’s Wall of Fame.” The exhibit included more than a dozen memoirs, photographs of Obama and his family, as well as presidential seals and Obama’s campaign emblem. “Our Wall of Fame has been updated with our amazing Obama Family Memorabilia!” Talarico said.
Obama’s memoirs are not the only post that received criticism from Talarico’s teacher account. Some also addressed a topic 14 September 2011, Post depicting a “free thinker” display in the classroom. Among those labeled free thinkers were Obama, Bill Gates, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro.
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Texas Democratic Senate candidate and Texas state Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, waves before speaking for the first time since winning the Democratic nomination on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Austin. (Eric Gay/AP Photo)
Others featured in the exhibition ranged from Ludwig van Beethoven to Frida Kahlo and Jay-Z. Harry Potter author JK Rowling was also included. However, Republican or conservative leaders were not included in this list.
Some also criticized Talarico. September 4, 2012, post Here he encourages students to tune in to the Democratic National Convention for Castro, the former mayor of San Antonio, to deliver the keynote address.
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Conservative commentator Steve Guest criticized Talarico, writing about X: “What was Talarico doing as an ‘educator’?”
The National Republican Senatorial Committee also weighed in, writing: “James Talarico had public school students write ‘Obama memoirs’ and encouraged them to watch the DNC. What else was he telling Texas kids in his classroom?”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and his bitter rival Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, are heading into a Texas runoff, further extending their bloody primary battle into the end of May. (Photo: Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images; Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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A Talarico spokesperson responded to conservative critics in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“John Cornyn, Ken Paxton, and the billionaires who support them are afraid of James Talarico, and for good reason: Our campaign is building a movement ready to change the politics of this state and take power back into the hands of working people,” said press secretary JT Ennis. “While they waste their time launching stale attacks to mislead Texans, we are uniting the people of Texas to win in November.”
Talarico will face incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, or state Attorney General Ken Paxton this November. Cornyn and Paxton currently face a tough primary election that will culminate this May.
