On Monday, the O’Keefe Media Group released its “Talarico Tapes,” putting the undercover footage into public view one day before the midterm elections. The videos center on Texas U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico and the moderate image he has presented to Texas voters.

According to OMG, the recordings show Texas Democrats describing that image as a camera ready appeal to voters while insisting Talarico remains firmly progressive. The footage features Williamson County Democratic Chair Kim Collins Gilby and people connected to Talarico’s campaign and personal life.

Matt Menard, the father of Talarico’s girlfriend, Brianna Menard, appears in an undercover conversation. Menard identifies his daughter as Talarico’s girlfriend and discusses what he says are the candidate’s actual political positions.

“James is not going… he’s not going middle. He’s a progressive,” Matt Menard told the OMG undercover journalist. His assessment directly challenges the idea that Talarico has moved toward the political center.

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Menard claims to communicate with Talarico weekly and says the two have personally discussed immigration policy. Menard said Talarico opposes ICE immigration enforcement tactics and supports a pathway to citizenship for everyone.

Menard also warned the undercover journalist against placing too much weight on Talarico’s public comments about border security. He said Talarico is offended by ICE and that they have spoken about those issues.

Gilby offered another blunt description of Talarico’s border position. “[Talarico] said we oughta put a welcome mat out at our border,” the Williamson County Democratic chair said in the undercover footage.

The recordings also turn to Talarico’s comments concerning transgender surgeries for minors. Gilby suggests that remarks Talarico made during a CNN town hall were intended to make him appear more centrist to Texas voters.

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Gilby argued that Democrats must first win elections before they can advance their priorities. That framing puts the campaign’s moderate messaging in a rather revealing light, especially as voters prepare to cast ballots.

Inside Travis County Democratic Headquarters, regional organizer Andhi Beltran Garcia discussed Talarico’s approach to abortion. The organizer said he was presenting himself as a moderate to appeal to Texas voters while holding more progressive positions.

“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 ],” the regional organizer said. The statement again describes moderation as an electoral presentation rather than a political conversion.

The organizer discussed an effort to appear closer to the center. “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,” they said.

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

Across the footage, the same basic conflict repeatedly surfaces. Talarico’s recent public messaging emphasizes positions crafted to reach Texas voters, while the people recorded by OMG describe him as substantially more progressive on immigration, abortion, and transgender surgeries for minors.

The recordings feature people with different connections to Talarico, including his girlfriend’s father, a county Democratic chair, and a regional organizer. Each discusses the distance between the candidate’s moderate presentation and the political views they attribute to him.

The release arrived with exceptionally sharp timing, just one day before the midterm elections and ahead of the U.S. Senate vote. OMG’s footage places Talarico’s public positions and the private descriptions offered by fellow Democrats side by side for voters to evaluate.

The central question raised by the undercover videos is whether Talarico’s moderate messaging reflects a genuine change or a calculated effort to attract independent voters. The people captured in the footage repeatedly point toward the latter explanation, leaving Texas voters with plenty to consider before the election.

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