James O’Keefe’s O’Keefe Media Group has once again gained access inside a Democrat Senate campaign, releasing undercover footage Monday of people close to Texas Senate nominee James Talarico describing his moderate public messaging as a calculated play for red-state voters. The recordings, released the day before Election Day, capture a county Democrat chair, the purported father of Talarico’s girlfriend, and a regional organizer openly distinguishing between what Talarico says on camera and what they say he actually believes.
Williamson County Democrat Party Chair Kim Collins Gilby is heard saying Talarico “will not vote to close… the border” and has spoken of putting “a welcome mat out at our border.” She also suggested his CNN town hall comments on transgender surgeries for minors were intended “to make himself appear more centrist,” adding that “he’s very liberal” and that “we’ve got to get elected so that we can do something.”
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On the campaign trail and in high-profile settings such as the CNN town hall, he has presented himself as pragmatic and open to stricter border measures, declaring “I’m a border security Democrat” and criticizing the Biden administration for “not securing the border.”
TALARICO TAPES: Williamson County Democratic Chair and James Talarico’s Girlfriend’s Family Reveal to O’Keefe That Talarico Is Portraying Himself as a Moderate to Win Over Texas Voters, but Privately Holds Very Progressive Positions on Border Security, Immigration, Abortion, and Transgender Surgeries for Minors “James [Talarico], he’s not going middle.” “He’s [Talarico] definitely going to play the middle ground because he’s in Texas. but he is a lot more progressive on it [abortion].” “Don’t put too much stock into border security comments…“He [Talarico] and I have spoken about these issues.” “He [Talarico] probably said that to try to make himself appear more centrist. He’s very liberal…but we’ve got to get elected, so we can do something.” @jamestalarico @texasdemocrats @wilcotnyd @wilcotxgov @kimg_atx
— James O’Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) November 2, 2026
Matt Menard, identified as the father of Talarico’s girlfriend Brianna Menard, went further. He told the undercover journalist not to “put too much stock into border security comments,” described Talarico as “not going moderate” and “a progressive,” said he supports a pathway to citizenship for everyone, and claimed the candidate would “absolutely stop” current ICE enforcement tactics if Democrats took control of Congress.
A Travis County Democrat Party regional organizer, Andhi Beltran Garcia, similarly said Talarico would “play the middle ground because he’s in Texas” on abortion while holding “a lot more progressive” private views. The inclusion of a girlfriend’s family member into the investigation may invite criticism from Talarico’s defenders and perhaps even members of the media, but it also underscores the reach and tenacity of O’Keefe’s reporting and his October surprise series, which has become a signature feature of election cycles.
In October, undercover footage of a regional field organizer for Michigan Democrat Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed showed the organizer discussing alleged foreign donations and other eyebrow-raising topics. The Michigan Democrat Party later confirmed the staffer had been terminated. Neither Talarico’s campaign nor the Texas Democrat Party has publicly responded to the tapes released Monday as of the time of this writing.
Texas voters will decide the Senate race between Talarico and Republican nominee Ken Paxton, the state’s attorney general, on Tuesday, with the newly released tapes now part of the public record. Whether the recordings affect the outcome is ultimately up to them.
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Editor’s Note: The 2026 Midterms will determine the fate of President Trump’s America First agenda. Republicans must maintain control of both chambers of Congress.
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