The Jamie Kern Lima Show - James Talarico The Interview: Fighting to Flip Tables + Take Texas, Christianity & the Country Back

Episode Date: May 14, 2026

James Talarico is arguably the hottest rising star in US Politics Right now and this is the Worldwide Premiere of James Talarico on The Jamie Kern Lima Show podcast! The eighth-generation Texan, former middle school teacher, and Presbyterian seminarian, is a 4-term Texas state rep Described by many as a work horse, not a show horse, after passing several bills in his state, by bringing together both democrats and republicans alike. His current U.S. Senate campaign has catapulted him into the national spotlight and sparked national debate and outrage over his fight against Christian nationalism, his vow to end corruption in politics, and exactly why his national media appearances seems to be causing so much commotion. Causing many to Draw comparisons between Talarico and some of the most inspiring icons in our country’s history. He’s one of the most requested guests this year, and I am so excited that for the FIRST TIME EVER, rising superstar politician James Talarico is here with you and me, in person on the Jamie Kern Lima Show! James is opening up like never before…this is the Jamie Kern Lima show after all, and I have to say, it’s one of the most inspiring conversations we’ve ever had on the show! Get ready to get to know the man, behind the movement, where no questions are off limits! Where I ask ALL the questions you wrote in and want to know, from his stance on the most hotly debated issues, to whether or not he plans to run for President one day, to his personal life, love life, family, future plans for kids and more. So today, if you’re ready to leave FEELING INSPIRED…if you’re ready to IGNITE HOPE inside or you for the future of our country, even if it’s for the first time, or for the first time in a long time, this conversation is for you!!! And I am so happy you’re here and thank you for being part of the JKL Show podcast family. The intention of this show is to be a force for good and a force for love. I have guests on that might vote differently, love differently or pray differently from you and me because I believe: To heal humanity through love, we must first understand the humans who make it up! I am SO Happy you are here…no matter how you vote, you love or you pray, you belong here!   You can learn more about James, his policies and how to get involved in his movement at jamestalarico.com Are You Ready to believe in YOU?🙌 jamiekernlima.com 👈 Sign up for my FREE Inspirational Newsletter and get ready for your self-worth to soar!🩷 Also, please make sure to take 2 seconds and click the “Follow” button right here on this page to follow me and the podcast, I’m so grateful and thank you SO much! ___ It’s such an honor to share this podcast together with you. And please note: I am not a licensed therapist, and this podcast is NOT intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional. Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to Subscribe to the YouTube Channel Follow me here:  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ —  Sign up for my inspirational newsletter for YOU at:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ jamiekernlima.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  —  Looking for my books on Amazon? Here they are!  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠WORTHY⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Believe IT⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This is the worldwide premiere of James Calerico on the Jamie Kern-Lima show. You're not going to believe this, but... I've never heard you share that before. I've never heard you talk about this, and that's a big thing to say. James Calerico is arguably the hottest rising star in U.S. politics right now. Do you need to run for president? We need someone who's actually a good person. James Jericho out of Texas.

Oh, that guy's good. He's terrific. Really talented. A new poll has James Tala Rico leading. A little bit of hope is a dangerous thing. The Eighth Generation Texan, former middle school teacher and Presbyterian Seminarian, is a four-term Texas state rep described by many as a workhorse, not a show horse, after passing several bills in his state by bringing together both Democrats and Republicans alike.

Whether you're a little more progressive or a little more conservative, whether you like Democrats or like Republicans, we're all getting screwed. None of us can afford our housing. None of us can afford child care. None of us can afford our prescription drugs. None of us can afford to put our kids through college. The only minority destroying America is the billionaires. The biggest divide in our politics is not left versus right.

It's top versus bottom. His current U.S. Senate campaign has catapulted him into the national spotlight and sparked national debate and outrage over his fight against Christian nationalism. I would define Christian nationalism as the worship of power in the name of Christ. Their candidate is whacked out. The insult to Jesus, I mean, such an insult. He's actually, I think he's grossly incompetent. Tala Rica. Tala Rica.

The President of the United States just said that I insulted Jesus. You want to know what insults Jesus? Kicking the sick off their health care while cutting taxes for billionaires. You know what insults Jesus? Covering up the Epstein files and then refusing to prosecute a single person in them. His vow to end corruption in politics. You have made a lot of money personally and you've enriched a lot of corporations with advertising by getting on here and spewing lies and conspiracy theories to folks who trust to be.

to folks who shusky. And exactly why his national media appearances seem to be causing so much commotion. It's not the first time you've caused some drama. FCC opening probe into the view after appearance by Tala Rico. Do you mean to cause trouble? I do. I think that Donald Trump is worried that we're about to flip Texas. Causing many to draw comparisons between Tala Rico and some of the most inspiring icons in our countries, his country.

History. Influencers doing side-by-side photos of you in JFK. You've been drawing some pretty large crowds. You had a large crowd here. Some people talking about when they hear you speak, it reminds them of Obama in the 2004 DNC, where they just felt hope ignited again. When you hear these type of comparisons, what do you think? And today, for the first time ever, he's opening up like never before. This is the Jamie Kernan Lima show, after all. Get ready to get to know the man behind the movement where no questions are off limits. I'm shocked to hear you say that.

I think a lot of people have been surprised that you just said. Where I ask all the questions, you wrote in and want to know. You talk so much about your niece, loving your niece, baby Jane. And I've seen your girlfriend playing with your niece and, you know, how much you love kids. Do you want kids one day? What is your plan to reduce crime? Ken Paxton's crimes are well known. I would say that John Cornyn is even more corrupt than Ken Paxson.

You've been crushing it with fundraising. You've raised more than any U.S. Senate candidate in U.S. History Q1 of this year. Yeah. And you're the only candidate not taking corporate Pac-Map. That's right. Is that sustainable long-term? I have to ask you the question, will you one day, will you one day, run for president.

This is fascinating. Yeah. You're born with that fight in you. Yeah. Yeah. 2,000 years ago, when the powerful few at the top hurt those at the bottom. That barefoot rabbi didn't stay in his room and pray.

He walked into the seat of power and flipped over the tables of injustice. To those who love this country, to those who love our neighbors, it's time to start flipping tables. So today, if you're ready to leave feeling inspired, if you're ready to ignite hope inside of you for the future of our country, even if it's for the first time or for the first time in a long time, this conversation is for you. I'm so grateful for your love and loyalty to this show. And there's something I want to quickly share. personally with you from me to you. I have had Republicans, Democrats, and independence on this show, ranging from Michelle Obama in a special three-part interview to actor Kelsey Grammer sharing his support of President Trump. The intention of the show is to be a force for good and a force for love.

I have guests on that might vote differently, love differently, or pray differently from you and me, because I believe to heal humanity through love, we must first understand. the humans who make it up. I am so happy you are here and no matter how you vote, you love or you pray, you belong here. And I have to say, I'm excited to share today's conversation with you. In fact, it is easily one of my favorite conversations in the history of the show. And really quick, if you could take two seconds and hit the subscribe button on the app you're listening or watching on, that way you'll be the very first to get inspirational episodes. Plus, you can get weekly inspiration into your inbox for me for free, just join my newsletter at jamie karnelima.com.

And thank you so much for sharing this episode with every single person that you might know who needs inspiration or hope today because we are all in this life together. Welcome to the Jamie Kernelima show. Oprah, how have you defied the odds? Her show is unlike any I've ever done. A revelation. When you listen, it feels. feels like a hug.

First lady Michelle Obama. Jamie, you are going so deep. I have never had this in-depth conversation. I've actually never said that out loud to anybody in an interview before. You know how to get there. Your brain and your spirit and your heart is like, wow, Melinda French Gates.

When I look into Jamie's eyes, I feel like I am on some other cosmic level with her. Megan, that just of sense. I wasn't expecting that one. I could see the light around her. She's infused with light. Maria Shriver. I never made that mistake again. Imagine overcoming self-doubt, learning to believe in yourself and trust yourself and know you are enough. Welcome to the Jamie Kern-Lima show. Jamie Kern-Lima is her name. Everybody needs Jamie Ful-Lima in their life. Jamie Kern-Lima. Jamie, you're so inspiring.

Jamie Kern Lima. James Tolariko, welcome to the Jamie Kern-Lima show. Thank you for having me. I'm really honored to be here. James, you are in the middle of one of the highest profile U.S. Senate races in our country's history. You went from a middle school teacher to a four-term Texas State rep. And so many of your stances on issues have gone viral, right? They're resonating with people of every party across the country, across the world.

So you've turned these powerful movements into what are now becoming sort of movements powered by people all across the country. Why are you and your message resonating in such a huge way? I feel like people across the political spectrum are really hungry for a different kind of politics. We've had a politics over the last 10 years that makes us feel angry, makes us feel afraid. but we haven't had a politics that makes us feel hopeful, that makes us feel excited about the future. And I do feel like that's the kind of politics we're building in Texas in this campaign. And I just, I feel so lucky to be a part of it. It really is a lot bigger than me at this point.

We have 40,000 people who have signed up to volunteer for our campaign, people who are knocking doors and making phone calls and sending texts and postcards. And it really is just a, it's so exciting to see what's happening on the ground in Texas. And the way that this campaign is making people feel hopeful about the future, not just in our state, but across the country. And so I feel a lot of responsibility because there's a lot riding on all this, a lot of people in our state who desperately need a senator who's going to work for them and who's going to make their lives easier and better and less stressful. But I think if we do what we need to do, we're going to pull this off. We're going to shock everyone by winning the seat in Texas in November. It's wild. I have friends all across the country that are Republicans, that are Democrats, and it's

almost like it doesn't matter. They're all excited about your campaign and talking about it, even outside of Texas. But I have friends inside of Texas who are hardcore Republicans who are planning to vote for you. So do you think that's because of your messaging of people are tired of maybe feeling like they're divided? I do. I do. And I hear that from people at our events. over the state. You know, I've, I've done rallies and town halls now in every corner of Texas

from Beaumont to El Paso, from Amarillo, up in the Panhandle, all the way down to Brownsville in the Rio Grande Valley. And everywhere we do events, you know, I stay till the very end. I shake every hand. I take every selfie. I answer every question. And so I get to hear from people one-on-one. And no matter where I go in the state, I have people who come up to me and whisper, I'm not a Democrat, like they're in the witness protection program or something. And a lot of people who say this is the first campaign they've ever gotten involved with or the first time they've ever showed up at a political event, a political rally or a town hall. And so I do feel like we are building a coalition that is bigger than the Democratic Party. It's bigger than the Republican Party. It's

It includes a lot of people who are participating for the first time and who desperately want to see a better politics and who want to see a senator who's actually going to fight for them and their families. You know, you have a really great life before this campaign, a four-term state rep. You know, you can go hang out with people, eat some barbecue, do whatever you want to do, but you're running for one of the highest profile where he says you've been catapulted into the national spotlight. So why are you running for such a huge office? and taking this on, because I'm imagining it's a whole lot to carry. Yeah, well, before I was ever in elected office, I was a school teacher. I taught sixth grade language arts at Rhodes Middle School. Shout out to Rhodes and the Wildcats.

The west side of San Antonio is a beautiful historic neighborhood. It's also one of the poorest zip codes in the whole state of Texas. And so I saw firsthand how decisions made in the halls of power, whether it's the halls of the state capital or the halls of our national capital. hurt students like the ones that I taught, hurt communities like the West Side. And that's really what pushed me into policy and politics. I first ran for the State House in 2018. I was a Democrat running in a Trump district in a county that was so red. It hadn't voted for a Democrat since Jimmy Carter for president. And so I had to build a big coalition.

I had to bring a lot of people together across all these lines to win that seat. We ended up flipping that district on election night, shocking the political world in Texas. And now I'm in my fourth term in the state house where I've built those big coalitions to pass major policy that helps people in our state. I've had to go toe to toe with some of the mega donors that control Texas politics. I've had to speak truth to power, and I've had to work across the aisle to pass bills that actually lower people's costs and help people get ahead in this economy. I think all of those fights that I've been involved with and leading at the state capital are now even more urgent at our nation's capital, the fight against corruption, the fight to lower costs, the fight to make government work for regular people. And I think I've developed a skill set in the trenches of the Texas legislature, which is not an easy place to work.

certainly as a Democrat. And I want to take those skills, take those fights to where they're needed most on behalf of the people in my state. You're Presbyterian Seminarian and your views on Christianity have really united a lot of people around the country. They've also caused a whole lot of shock and awe in some circles. Can you share about your faith about where it comes from and about the message that you're sharing that seems to be really, I mean, really creating a connection with so many people. Well, and you and I have talked about this a lot because I know we're both people of faith and our faith is very important to both of us. And so the message that I'm that I'm trying to share either on the campaign trail or from pulpits across the state when I'm preaching as a seminarian,

it's the same message of Love Thy neighbor. And that's a very old message. that comes from all the major world religions that has been championed by some of our heroes throughout American history. And I think every generation we have to remind ourselves of the importance of loving our neighbors. And it feels like in this moment when democracy is in trouble, both here and abroad, like we have to figure out how to love our neighbors again, especially our neighbors who are different from us, our neighbors who are neighbors who,

disagree with us. We've got to find a way to love each other through those disagreements and those differences. Otherwise, this American experiment won't last. And so I'm trying to bring some of those teachings from our tradition into the political sphere, because I think they're needed now more than ever before. Can you talk about your granddad? Yeah. And taught you the importance of the two commandment. Yeah. So my granddad was a Baptist preacher in South Texas, and I was named after him. So when I was growing up, he was always big Jimmy and I was little Jimmy. That was at family gatherings, how they were able to tell us apart when one of us was getting called out for something. And he always told me that Christianity is a simple religion, not an easy religion.

not an easy religion, he would always clarify, but a simple religion, because Jesus gave us these two commandments to follow, love God and love neighbor. And that second commandment is really what set me on the course I'm on now. The reason I signed up to be a public school teacher on the west side of San Antonio was that commandment to love my neighbor as myself. The reason I ran for the state house was to try to follow that commandment and to try to craft public policies that are going to help my neighbor. It's going to make my neighbor's life a little easier, a little less stressful. And I was able to pass those bills because I was able to love my colleagues, my neighbors in the state legislature, even when we disagreed on other issues.

I always try to remember that everyone I come across is the expression of a divine source. every person that I meet is the bearer of a sacred image. And I forget that all the time. We all forget it all the time. But the more that I can hold on to that and remember that, especially in my political work, I think the more effective I am on bringing people over who may not agree with me on a lot of other issues, the more I'm able to serve my constituents and make their lives better, it is valuing each and every person and valuing their humanity. And that really stems from those teachings that my granddad passed on to me and that Jesus is still communicating to us 2,000 years later.

And you talk about, you know, loving your neighbor. Because a lot of people talk about, oh, yeah, you know, I love God, I love my neighbor. You know about loving your neighbor if you truly love your neighbor. It's your atheist neighbors, your agnostic neighbors, your Buddhist neighbors, your LGBTQ neighbors, all of your neighbors, your undocumented neighbors, right? You talk about that a lot. And I think for a lot of people are like, oh, yeah. Well, and anyone who's read the New Testament quickly finds out that those of the neighbors were specifically called to love. It's our neighbors who are the most different from us, because it's

really easy to love your neighbor who looks like you, who prays like you, who votes like you. That's not a challenge. The challenge is to love people who look differently, who pray differently, who vote differently. And when you read Jesus' parables, the hero is almost always someone who is on the outside, who's on the margins, who's different and despised. And that's who we're called to love as ourselves. And it's not easy. But I think if we figure out how to do that, we're going to save this American experiment. We're going to rebuild our communities that have been torn apart by forces much bigger than than us as individuals. And we'll be able to get this country and this world back on track. So many people are searching for meaning and they maybe feel like,

huh, maybe I want faith in my life or something bigger than myself. But then they see these examples of people who maybe claim they're Christian, but their actions look a whole lot more like hate, then they do love. They see politicians who run on Christian platforms, but then they're like, well, wait a minute, that doesn't seem like that feels congruent or aligned. And so then a lot of people actually stay away from faith because they're worried that they're going to be disqualified or they're going to be judged or they're going to be, you know, expected to be divisive or to hate other people or to be exclusionary. Can you talk about something that I know is a huge passion of yours that I think a lot of people are maybe starting to be aware of, but can you talk about Christian nationalism

and what people should know what it is? How does it affect them? So I would define Christian nationalism as the worship of power in the name of Christ. We need to pause for a super brief break. And while we do, take a moment to share this episode with every single person that you know who this could inspire because this conversation can truly be the words and inspiration they need to hear today to keep going, to remember that they matter and to feel less alone and more enough, more connected, more inspired, and more worthy. Imagine what would you do if you fully believed in you? My weekly free inspirational newsletter is packed with tips and tools to help you find out. It's called One-on-One with Jamie and it's delivered right to your inbox

each Tuesday morning. It's a love letter from me to you, from my soul to yours. And I hope it brings you the words and messages you need at just the right moment. Plus, when you're part of my free inspirational newsletter community, you'll be the first to get behind the scenes content, inspirational messages, and be the first to learn about upcoming events and more. It's the place to be, and I sure hope you'll join me there. So if you're not on the list yet, you can sign it for free at jamiekernlima.com or click the link in the show notes below. And here's to becoming unstoppable together.

In life, you don't sort the level of your hopes and dreams. You stay stuck at the level of your self-worth. When you build your self-worth, you change your entire life. And that's exactly why I wrote my new book, Worthy, How to Believe You Are Enough and transform your life for you. If you have some self-doubt to destroy and a destiny to fulfill, worthy is for you. In worthy, you'll learn proven tools and simple steps that bring life-changing results,

like how to get unstuck from the things holding you back. Build unshakable self-love. Unlearn the lies that lead to self-doubt and embrace the truths that wake up worthiness. Overcome limiting beliefs and imposter syndrome. Achieve your hopes and dreams by believing you are worthy of them and so much more. Are you ready to unleash your greatness and step in to the person you were born to be? Imagine a life with zero self-doubt and unshakable self-worth. Get your copy of Worthy plus some amazing thank you bonus gifts for you at Worthybook.

or the link in the show notes below. Imagine what you do if you fully believed in you. It's time to find out with Worthy. And now more of this incredible conversation together. Can you talk about Christian nationalism and what people should know what it is? How does it affect them? So I would define Christian nationalism as the worship of power in the name of Christ. And I define it really broadly so that we can see different forms of Christian nationalism rearing its head throughout the history of the church. Because our religion has always struggled with its relationship with power. It's something Jesus warns us about.

One of the things the devil offers to Jesus out in the wilderness is political power, all the kingdoms of the world, and Jesus rejects it. Jesus tells his disciples on a regular basis to think of power differently, to think of power with rather than power over. If you want to be a leader, you have to be a servant to others. That idea of servant leadership is redefining our relationship with power, specifically political power. And so that struggle is alive and well today. And so you see many of our fellow Christians, specifically those who serve an elected office, they are attempting to use their power as elected officials and the power of the state, the power of the government, to force their

understanding of Christianity down other people's throats, specifically our Jewish, Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, atheist, agnostic neighbors. And those are, you, the exact neighbors who we are called to love as ourselves. And I don't know about you, Jamie, but I don't want anyone's religion forced down my throat. Certainly don't want it coming from a government, from a state. So why would I do that to anyone else? I think that's the basic test we have to apply. And so, again, I think we have to have a real conversation within the church, within Christian communities about what is our relationship with power? Because, you know, in my mind, as a Christian, power that is not shared is also domination.

And in a democracy, it's all about sharing power. We acknowledge that power is real and that it has consequences. And we commit to sharing that together as a nation, as communities. And I think that's where we have to strive. Theocracy, in my mind, is the most dangerous form of government, because the only thing worse than a tyrant is a tyrant who thinks they're on a mission from God. And that's why our faith in Jesus should lead us away from theocracy, away from tyranny, away from Christian nationalism, and toward a multiracial, multicultural democracy,

where we can all freely love God and fully love our neighbors. A lot of people don't know this, but during your first campaign, you almost, almost fell into a diabetic coma. You almost died. What was it like to find out you were diabetic in your 20s? So in my very first campaign back in 2018, I was running for the state house, and I decided to walk the entire length of my district from Round Rock, Texas to Taylor, Texas. And while I wanted to, you know, so much of politics now is filtered, sometimes literally, but also just there's so many layers between me and the people that I seek to represent. There's the traditional media.

There's social media. There's algorithms, platforms, there's staff, campaign staff, and interviewers. There's all these layers in between a person running for office and the people they seek to represent. And so I was trying to figure out how could we tear down some of those filters? How could we break some of those walls in between me and the people in my community? And so I had this idea of just walking the length of the district on foot all in one day and holding three town halls along the way. And so it was 25 miles, did it all in the Texas heat, did it all on foot. I wasn't worried about my ability to do the walk.

I was 28 years old, perfectly healthy. I hike Big Bend every year. And so I wasn't worried about my ability to pull it off. Halfway through the walk, I started to feel fatigued and a little nauseous. I threw up a couple times along the walk. Oh, wow. Somehow I finished the whole thing, finished the last town hall. I figured I was just dehydrated, and so I went to bed.

I thought I just needed a good night's sleep, and I ended up sleeping for 36 hours straight. My family got concerned. They took me to the ER. Nurses checked my blood sugar. I don't think I'd ever had my blood sugar tested before. I wasn't even really sure what blood sugar was, and they told me that a normal blood sugar is 100 or lower, mine was 900. So I was in a state of diabetic ketoacidosis, which leads to coma and death without insulin.

And so I was lucky to be alive, very thankful for the doctors and nurses in Williams and County who brought me back to health. I left the ICU to go pick up my first 30-day supply of insulin, this new medicine that I now needed to live every day. and that 30-day supply of insulin cost me $684. And I didn't have that kind of money. I put it on a credit card. And I learned that Texans like me with diabetes, particularly type 1 diabetes,

are rationing or skipping doses because they can't afford their insulin, the medicine that they need. And so when I won that seat, I brought Democrats and Republicans together. I took on Big Pharma and they're lobbyists, and we passed a bill that caps insulin co-pays in the state of Texas at $25 per prescription. So from $684 to $25, that is what's possible when you bring people together to take on the special interests that have corrupted our government at our expense. And that was just a personal example, but we're trying to do that across issue areas. for Texans who desperately need a government's going to work for them. The number of bills you've passed by bringing Democrats and Republicans together is why people

call you recourse, not show horse. And like it's just, it's really, I wish every person in office, no matter their party, would be able to do that. Well, and our country needs it. And there's no way in the Texas legislature for me to pass anything without Republican support. And that's a, it's a, it's a blessing in disguise because it forces you to get outside of your comfort zone, to work with folks who you may not always agree with, and hopefully come to some kind of common ground. You know, I think it's because, like, I grew up with Republicans. Like every one of my teachers growing up was a card carrying Republican. They loved me deeply. I loved them. I have so many family members who vote Republican, so many friends who I grew up with,

who voted for Donald Trump in the last election. And I love these people. These people are such integral parts of my life and a part of me as a person. And so, you know, I can't cancel them. I can't write them off because they're a part of my life. And I just feel like that is a blessing because it helps me to see my political opponents as human beings first. It allows me to connect with them and then allows us to find common ground and actually make some progress. And I feel like that's what our politics needs at every level in both political parties. And it's why competitive elections, why breaking one-party rule in Texas is so important

because one party rule always leads to extremism and corruption, whether it's the Republican Party in Texas or the Democratic Party elsewhere. You need that competition. So it forces lawmakers in both parties to work together, to talk to one another, to compromise. We don't have that in Texas right now because we've had one party rule for 30 years. So you see a lot of extremism. You see a lot of corruption in our state. And I think it's why people are hungry for a change. You know, I'm the same. I think a lot of people resonate with what you just said. I mean, my family, I have five families. I'm adopted. It's the whole story. They're split. I mean, I have family members that are diehard Trump supporters. Doesn't matter what happens. I have family members that think those family members are nuts and they don't understand that for anything. And, you know, it's, I love. It's why on the show I've had Republicans. I've had Democrats. I've had independence. I feel like in order for us to help heal humanity through love, we have to understand the humans that make it up. But for you, I want to be. But for you, I want to. want to ask you this because a lot of people want to know this question. You know, a lot of people wrote in questions for you. I'm so excited. We're going to dive into all the topics. Nothing's off

limits, which I love. So thank you for that. There's so much coming. Y'all. Get ready. But, you know, one of the big questions was, you know, where you're at politically, specifically, can you share with us? Can you share with us why you're a Democrat? And also where you would sort of place yourself on or classify yourself in terms of all the ways people, people want to classify you as centrist, a, you know, socialist, you'll hear everything. So I would love to hear it in your words. Yeah. Well, one, I just, I detest this, this need that we have in our politics to put us all in containers. Yes. And it is strong. I've had so many people trying to figure out where to, how to label me. Yes. And we do that to each other. And we do it

as a shorthand, and I think it's part of what flattens us, because the honest truth is, and I'm sure your family members would agree, we have all these things inside of us, right? There are some issues where I'm a little more conservative, some issues where I'm a little moderate, some issues where I'm a little more progressive, and I always try to do what I think is best, even if it's bucking my own party to do it. And I've done that a bunch of times in the Texas legislature. And so, you know, I think about in our faith tradition, the tree that Adam and Eve ate from was the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And it's that dualistic thinking.

It's the trying to make things black or white, this or that, that gets us in so much trouble in our politics. And it's what I'm trying to avoid as much as I can in this campaign, because I'm I think these are oftentimes false choices. And it allows us to look past some of the complexities in our politics and policymaking. But if I was to give a label for myself, I would call myself a Texas Democrat. This seat that I'm running for is Lyndon Johnson's seat, LBJ's Senate seat. And LBJ, he's from the Texas Hill country, Central Texas, which is where I'm from. He was a former teacher before he ran for office. So I have a lot of, I feel a lot of

connection to LBJ and his legacy. And politically, he was able to marry two things. Bold, moral, political imagination. He was able to really see what was wrong in this country and have bold solutions for how to transform it, not nibble around the edges. But I mean, I'm talking about Medicare, Medicaid, Head Start, and Title I, the War on Poverty, Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act. I mean, he went big. He was able to marry that bold imagination with practical politics, coalition building, reaching out to people on the other side, building a team that could actually pass these policies, implement them, and sustain them.

And that kind of, that marriage between pragmatic politics, and bold moral imagination, I feel like that is the key to success for the Democratic Party moving forward. We have to hold both of those things together like LBJ did, like Dr. King did, because that's how they were able to pass the great society. And if we want to do that for our generation,

if we want to have a, if we want to have bold action that's going to restructure this economy, restructure this political system, so that it works for regular people again, we're going to need to have two things together. And I think it's only appropriate that the person who holds LBJ's Senate seat brings those two things together in the U.S. Senate.

Holding LBJ's Senate seat makes me think about how right now, anybody who Googles you, they will see comparisons all over online with people comparing you to JFK, people talking about how impactful some of your talks are and how moving they are. When you see, there's, there's influencers doing side-by-side photos of you and JFK. Oh, I mean, it's a whole wild world out there. When you hear those comparisons, some people talking about when they hear you speak, it reminds them of Obama in the 2004 DNC, where they just felt hope ignited again. When you hear these type of comparisons, what do you think? I think it just reveals a hunger for someone under the age of 80 to run for office. I love our senior lawmakers and legislators, but I do think people, especially

the Democratic Party, are hungry for a new generation to step up. And that's what we saw in the Kennedys. That's what we saw in President Obama was young people stepping up to lead. And I think that's so important right now because young people are able to see the world anew and dream of the way things ought to be. And I think we've really been lacking for that. I think we've been missing that inspiration and that vision that really only young candidates can provide. So I'm very flattered by any of those comparisons. I do think it reveals something a little deeper, which is that folks are ready for the next generation to step up.

Well, we're going to dive into all the hot topics. Okay. There's so much coming up, especially. on some of your most widely debated issues. Yeah. But one thing I love to do on this show is really dive into sort of the story behind the story and who the person really truly is. And I really want to get to know the man behind the movement.

Yeah. And I know for you, your mom has been an influential hero in your life. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it was just me and her right after. after I was born, she was a preacher's daughter from South Texas, from Laredo, right there on our southern border. And she left home at 19. She, she like me, has a rebellious streak. She, you know, has a problem with authority sometimes and has no problem speaking truth to power. And so when

she was 19, you know, she, I think, was ready to leave Laredo behind and strike out on her own and build her own life. And so she moved up to Austin, Texas, the big city. And that was where she met my birth father, who was a 21-year-old high school dropout. He had a drinking problem. And he sometimes would become abusive. And after I was born, he one night got physical again. And that night, I think my mother's rebellious streak and her love for me came together at just the right moment and she decided to leave. She packed all our stuff into her little Ford escort. She drove me to the hotel where she worked. She begged the manager to let us stay in one of the rooms until we found this little apartment in East Austin. And it wasn't a big place. There wasn't room for like a separate nursery. And so

I slept in a crib in her closet. And she was so proud of that closet. She talks about how she decorated it with toys and pictures. Like it looked like a nursery. That to me has just always been like a symbol of her love, the kind of love that single parents, that all parents around this country have for their kids, the lengths we will go to fight for the people that we love. So it's always just been, you know, it's her story, but it's always been such an inspiration to me

and has really shaped my life and shaped my service. Well, I want to pull something out. A photo that your mom posted. Okay. Of her hugging you, giving you a kiss, and she wrote, I got to vote for Jimmy for the first time today. I hope no one heard me crying in the booth. That's funny.

Yes, I remember this. Yeah, this was in my first race in House District 50. And she came to vote with me. And, you know, I think it was a very emotional experience for both of us. That apartment that I was just telling you about is in my legislative district. So I represent that apartment in the mistake. street in the closet. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. So, you know, I think her being able to vote for, vote for me to be her state rep and to fight for her was a special moment to say the least. When you see her in that photo and she's able to share with the world how proud she is of you, how does it make you feel? All I can think about here is how much I rolled my eyes before she asked. me to take this photo because she was she we were out there we took like a regular photo right side by side smiling and then she was like can i do one kissing you and like you know there were other people around my campaign team was around and i'm going to have my mom kiss me but um you know you can't

say no so uh i i indulged her for this photo and uh and this is the one she decided to post so um but no this is such a it was a really special moment and and um you know i obviously I would not be here sitting for this interview, would not be a state representative, certainly wouldn't be running for the USN if it wasn't for her. So I owe everything to her. So she gets her silly picture. She gets her picture. Yeah, that's the least I could do.

We don't often hear about your adopted dad, Mark Tolariko, when you're out there on the campaign trail. Can you tell us about him and his role in your life? Yeah. And thank you for asking because, you know, my mom and her story, her personality, like she she gets a lot of attention and not a lot of people ask about my adoptive dad because, you know, I've said before the luckiest thing that has ever happened to me in my whole life, and I'm a lucky person, a very lucky person, the luckiest thing that ever happened to me was meeting Mark Talariko.

He fell in love with my mom and then fell in love with me and adopted me and gave me his last name, raised me as his own. There's been, there's been so much conversation in this country in recent years about, about what it means to be a man. Yeah. What it means to be a young man. And I know young men are being, you know, there are these predatory algorithms that are taking advantage of young men all over this country. The like model for me for what a man is is my dad. I'll just tell you just one example. Every Saturday he would mow the lawn. He still mows the lawn.

Like, I've tried to urge him to get, like, to pay someone to mow the lawn or pay a kid in the cul-de-sac to mow the lawn, but he won't. Like, he always does it himself. And when we were growing up, he would mow our lawn and then he would mow our next-door neighbor's lawn because she was elderly, she was a widow. And he would do it and never talk about it. And I don't even know if she asked him to do it. He just, it was like, it was his responsibility. And not just a responsibility for me and my sister and, and mom, our immediate family. It was a responsibility to like everyone around him, including Nita, our next door neighbor.

And that just always struck me as like, that's exactly what a man, a father should be, someone who takes responsibility, someone who does the right thing, even when no one's watching. And that's exactly the kind of person he is, always honest, always doing the right thing, always helping other people, just the most remarkable man I know. And I'm like, so lucky I had that as the model when I was growing up. And you've already heard about my mother. So like, I just, I hit the parent lottery, the jackpot. I owe everything to both of them.

And so thanks for asking about him. To say that he is the best thing that's ever happened, I've never heard you share that before. I've never heard you talk about this. And that's a big thing to say. And he's probably going to watch this and cry. Like if I was a parent and my child said that about me. Yeah.

Yeah. It's just true. I just, my mother's a remarkable person. And I already said I would not be here if it wasn't for her and her active. of heroism and, um, but I feel like my, um, my dad gave me so many gifts, um, taught me so much about responsibility. Um, I was, here, let me just tell you this. Like I was, um, like I told you, my mom has a rebellious streak. And I told you I have the same one. And when I was younger, that very much manifested, um, and you're not going to believe this, but I was like a, a problem

kid at school. Like I acted out a lot. I talked when I wasn't supposed to. I talked back when I wasn't supposed to. Got in trouble with authority figures a lot. Got in trouble a lot. It was in detention and, you know, and all that stuff. And I feel like it was my dad's leadership as my father, as as the person to kind of rein some of that in because every kid needs that. And And so I feel like that structure, that example is what allowed me to kind of harness some of those impulses and channel them in more productive ways, right? Because now I take that impulse of speaking truth to power and I do it on the house floor on behalf of my constituents, right? Calling out big pharma, calling out, you know, billionaire mega donors. Like I'm able to do that because I've channeled that trait into something that's useful and productive for.

for the world. And I think my dad is really who, through his raising, helped me do that. So I just, I kind of just, I give him so much of the credit for the person I am today and the work that I get to do. I don't know if I would be doing any of this if my dad hadn't raised me into the man I am today. This is fascinating. Yeah. You know you're born with that fight in you. Yeah. Yeah. And then we're seeing it playing out right now. Yeah. In a lot of areas that people are really passionate about. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And talk about your sister and one of the favorite women in your entire life, favorite little girls in your entire life, your, your niece, Shane. Yes. Yes. I also don't get to talk about Madeline a whole lot. Madeline's my

sister. You know, Madeline was born 10 weeks premature. And it was a frightening pregnancy, frightening delivery, and doctors weren't sure if she was going to make it. They told us she wasn't going to be able to talk or walk. And my mom was in the hospital for so long that her boss called her and fired her over the phone. So there she was with a baby struggling to survive, no job, another kid who needs to be watched. My dad took on extra work to kind of keep our family afloat. Every night, mom went to go

be with Madeline in the NICU. And to make sure that someone was taken care of me, our church, St. Andrews, they created a babysitting tree to make sure there was always someone with me every night so mom and dad could be at the hospital. And like that, to me is the, since we're both believers, that's the body of Christ.

and so our church kind of kept us afloat in that moment when our family needed it the most. Anyway, Madeline got out of the NICU. She learned to walk. She learned to talk. She became a successful accountant. She married my brother-in-law, Matt, who was an army doctor. And now they have my baby niece, Jane. And baby Jane looks a lot like Madeline when she was little.

So she reminds us all of Madeline. And they all live about 15 minutes from me. So I get to be with them a lot. Well, since the campaign started, it hasn't been a lot. But whenever I get a moment off the trail, I always try to be with Jane because she is just the joy of our lives. She's the first of that generation for our whole extended family. So not even just our immediate, but aunt's uncles. cousins, like she's the first of this new generation. And so she's just, we're all obsessed

with her. And she gets all our attention. All of our, um, our lock screens are, are some kind of picture of Jane. And we renamed the family group chat to Jane's fan club, um, because it's just Jane content all day long. Um, but it is just so special to watch her grow into a, a, um, a very curious, silly and very kind toddler. And, you know, the hope is that we're going to build the Texas that's worthy of her because I worry about, you know, the state that she's going to inherit and will she have, you know, good public schools to go to? Will she have clean air, clean water? Will she have all her rights? You know, that's, so not only is she kind of a comfort, but she's also very much an inspiration. She reminds me of, like, why this is so important.

and what's at stake? Will she have a job with AI? That's right. I'm going to ask you about. That's right. You know, it's wild, James, when I asked, when I opened the floor and asked, you know, ask anything of James Talley Rico, what do you want to know? What questions do you want to know?

I expected the most popular questions to be maybe how you feel about, you know, the Iran war or where you stand on particular topics. The biggest question, not even close, the most popular question that we got asked is, are you single? Are you single? So you have a girlfriend. I do. I do. And she is, she is my rock. She is my best friend. I don't know if I could have gotten through the last six months of this crazy race if she hadn't been by my side. So yeah, thanks for asking about her as well. And can you share how you've met? Yeah, well, we actually worked together, and then we became best friends, and then we fell in love,

and we've been together ever since. How is she handling everything happening right now? Well, I don't think she wants any part of this running for Senate. I think she's very proud of me and very supportive, but there's just been so many attacks. you know, coming at me and coming at our team, coming at my church, my pastor. And so, you know, what I'm trying to do is protect her and my family and my friends from the impacts of this race because I signed up to run for the U.S. Senate. Obviously, they did not.

And so I'm trying to balance running this race while also protecting them and protecting her in particular. I want to ask you about that because with all the political violence, do you worry for your safety? I don't worry about my safety. I do worry about this democracy and whether it can sustain this level of political violence, this type of violent rhetoric. So I worry for us as a whole. But, you know, we take precautions to keep me and the team safe, keep our supporters safe at events. And I have every confidence in our security team. But I have deep concerns about how we move forward together, how this American experiment continues when we handle each other so carelessly. You know, you had asked earlier about, like, what's drawing people to this campaign.

you and I are both people of faith. And we both know the importance of the sacraments of these kind of sacred rituals to get us in touch with God and with our own spirits. I feel like we've got to get to a point where we treat politics as a kind of sacrament. And I know that may seem strange. You wouldn't think of sacrament in politics as being. in the same sentence. But I mean, it is sacred work that we get to do in a democracy, whether we're a candidate,

whether we're someone interviewing a candidate, whether we're citizens and neighbors. We get to shape our destinies together. And that requires that we enter into this work with kind of a spiritual mindset. I've said before that democracy is a spiritual practice. And so I think if we could get to this. sacramental kind of politics where we handle each other with more care, where we see each other as divine image bearers. I think that could be a game changer for this American experiment, and not just here, but this experiment in democracy all over the world.

You know, it feels like, and it's a big concern, I think, of a lot of people just what feels like a reinvigorated, if you will, surge of political violence and of threats and of divisiveness and of vitriol. And, you know, recently you've been getting different types of threats. And I just want to ask you about that because you talk about being protective of your loved ones and your family and how they didn't sign up for this and you're entering this. And now you're in one of the most highly watched U.S. Senate races in history. You're getting attacks from the current administration, from the current president, which I'll dive into in a minute.

But recently you received a threat reportedly the secretary of war, Pete Hegsseth pastor, Brooks Podiger, called for your death, to which you publicly replied, Jesus loves Christian nationalism kills. You may pray for my death, pastor, but I still love you. I love you more than you could ever hate me is how you replied. Yeah. What are your thoughts on that and how did that moment impact your family, your girlfriend, the people you care about most? Yeah. Because I'll be honest, I would start freaking.

If it were me and I'm your mom or I'm your sister, I would be stress eating some Texas barbecue 24-7. I'd be freaking out. Yeah. How are you handling all this? And on a very serious note, when you hear this, how are you carrying this? Yeah.

Well, again, my top concern is for the people around me, for my family, for our team, for our supporters. And that's why we've taken precautions to make sure that everyone is protected. But, you know, when I first heard that, like any human being, you know, I, I, I had a lot of emotions, hurt, anger, fear. But like I said earlier, I always try to remind myself that every single person that I come across is a child of God, including someone who is praying for my death. And so when you take that seriously, then you start to ask yourself, what leads a person

to say that. Where is their head out? Where is their heart at? What fear must they be feeling to lash out in that way? And then you start to realize that, you know, we all feel those fears. We're all worried about change. We're all trying to grasp on to some kind of certainty, whether it's in our political ideology, our religion, whether it's with money and possessions and power and

control. Like we're all, we're all those, you know, fearful little people at times. And so once you can recognize that in yourself, it's, I think, easier to be compassionate. And so that's why I put out that statement, because again, as a Christian, I'm called to love my enemies. And, and, And it doesn't mean you don't speak truth to power. It doesn't mean you don't hold people accountable. It doesn't mean you don't stand up for your convictions, for your neighbors, especially your neighbors who are in harm's way. But it means that we're supposed to do all those things while still seeing the full humanity

in our opponents. And as someone who talks about his faith a lot in public, I feel an immense amount of responsibility to try to model some of these things for the people who are watching me. And so if, you know, if there's someone who threatening or praying for your death is an extreme example, but we're constantly in a democracy coming up against people or groups who are either intentionally or unintentionally trying to cause us harm, how do we deal with those people in a democracy? How are you supposed to think about and feel about those people? if democracy is a spiritual practice.

And so that was my best attempt when my well-being was threatened by someone. Well, I want to know, you know, the man behind the movement right now, how you decompress from all this. You can do for fun outside of work. I know you're a big country music fan. I am. I love some Texas barbecue. I do.

Despite certain people calling you vegan, you apparently, I know you love brisket. A vegan was not one of the one of the, one of the. of the accusations I thought was going to get thrown around this campaign, but it has been. You're a huge fan of pulled pork sandwiches and barbecue and brisket. I am. I am. Yeah. You know, I don't get a lot of time off the campaign trail these days. But when I do, obviously, it's most of the time is spent with family, spent with friends, spent with loved ones, because that's the best way for me to stay grounded. you know, I recently read Project Hail Mary, which is a sci-fi novel.

It's now a movie. And sometimes I feel like an astronaut who has been like flung off into space. And being a candidate sometimes can be a lonely experience, even though you're surrounded by people all the time. You know, not everybody knows what it feels like to kind of go through something like this with the attacks that come your way and all that stuff. So spending the limited free time I have with the people who know me in real life, who know me as a human being, not as a candidate or an idea,

but as a flesh and blood person, that's really important to keep me kind of tethered, to keep me sane through this adventure. But, you know, I also love being outdoors. I love hiking. I mentioned my love for Big Bend. Also give a shout out to Lost Maples, which is a state natural area in the hill country and to the hike and bike and bike trails around

Austin. That's very much a way that I stay connected and grounded is being out in nature. And then the last I would say is reading. I was a language arts teacher and I've been a lover of books my whole life. That's why I've fought so hard against a lot of these efforts to censor or ban books in Texas because I know the power of books in my life and in the lives of students. And so reading is definitely a way that I relax and a way that I try to cultivate my own imagination and creativity is through reading.

And so if you ever come into my house, you would just see like a wall of books and books on the floor and books in the closet. And I don't do Kindle or the e-books just because, like, I tried one time and there was like a dictionary feature we could look up words. And I ended up just like looking up tons of words. And I never got past like the page I was on because I was too distracted. And so hard copy old-fashioned books are still the best way for me to try to disconnect from. the craziness that's happening all around me.

You know, when you think about your personal life, you talk so much about your niece, loving your niece, baby Jane. I have to ask you this. Don't kill me. Yeah. Don't kill me. And I've seen your girlfriend playing with your niece

and, you know, how much you love kids. When we think about your future, do you want kids one day? What can you share with us about that? Well, now you sound like my mom asking when I'm, when I'm going to give her another grandbaby. I definitely do. I definitely do want to have kids one day.

You know, it's kind of hard in the middle of this campaign to think, you know, the next week ahead. It's certainly hard to think that far in advance, but it's definitely something that I want to do one day. You know, just seeing you talk, when you talk about your niece, it's like your eyes light at. Yeah. Well, and being around, being around Jane and being around my sister and brother.

them all as they as they embark on this adventure of parenthood it has definitely confirmed in me that it's something i want to do um i've just seen i've seen how it's um changed my sister and brother-in-law too um for the better i mean they're sleep deprived and stressed out and exhausted but um their heart their hearts seem to be so much bigger now um and they just seem to understand love in a way that I think it's hard to understand without having kids. Not that you can't because lots of people do, but it is definitely one way to tap into a deeper, bigger love. And I definitely want the opportunity to experience that.

For some reason, I'm just thinking about, you know, Michelle Obama was on the show and I'm thinking about how Sasha and Malia grew up in the White House. Yeah. Turned out great. Yeah. Elsie Clinton. Great place for kids to grow up. I don't know.

I was just thinking about it. I want to talk about your campaign, though. So you've been brushing it with fundraising. You've raised more than any U.S. Senate candidate in U.S. History Q1 of this year. Is that right? Yes. What congratulations on that. It really is. I know the percent is insanely high of donations under $100. It's like a people-powered movement. Can you talk about your fundraising strategy and what the heck is happening because everyone's watching? Yeah, I've made the commitment not to take corporate pack money. We need to pause for a super brief break. And while we do, take a moment to share this episode with every single person that you know who this could inspire. Because this conversation can truly be the words and inspiration they need to hear today to keep going. To remember that they matter and to feel less alone and more enough, more connected, more inspired, and more worthy.

Who you spend time around is so important as energy is contagious and so is self-belief. And I'd love to hang out with you even more, especially if you could use an extra dose of inspiration, which is exactly why I've created my free weekly newsletter that's also a love letter to you delivered straight to your inbox each and every Tuesday morning from me. If you haven't signed up to make sure that you get it each week, just go to jamiecernlima.com to make sure you're on the list and you'll get your one-on-one with Jamie weekly newsletter and get ready to believe in you. If you're tired of hearing the bad news every single day and need some inspiration, some tips, tools, joy, and love hitting your inbox, I'm your girl. Subscribe at jamiekernlima.com or in the link in the show notes. Imagine what would you do if you fully believed in you?

I went from struggling waitress facing non-stop rejection to founder of It Cosmetics, a billion dollar company by learning how to overcome self-doubt and believe I'm worthy of my hopes and dreams. And I'm sharing how you can too and my new book, Worthy, how to believe you are enough and transform your life. If you're ready to truly trust yourself and break through that barrier of self-doubt and know that where you come from

or even where you are right now doesn't determine where you're going, then worthy is for you. It's time to go from doubting you're enough to knowing you're enough. It's time to step into all of who you are and into the person you were born to be. And it's time to believe that you are worthy of it because in life we don't become what we want.

We become what we believe we're worthy of. Join the worthy movement today by grabbing your copy of worthy, anywhere books are sold, then head to worthybook.com now for free gifts, including my five-part course on Becoming Unstoppable and my 95-page worthy workbook action plan that teaches you how to implement the tools from the book into your real life right now. The gifts are going away, but they're all free right now on worthybook.com. And now more of this incredible conversation together. Can you talk about your fundraising strategy and what the heck is happening because everyone's watching? Yeah, I've made the commitment not to take corporate PAC money. I've never taken corporate pack money in my time in

legislature, and I'm not doing it as a Senate candidate or as a senator. And so this is a people-powered campaign. I think what's even more impressive than that big number is where it came from. It came from more than half a million people who donated their hard-earned money to this race. Ninety-eight percent of the donations are under $100. You have to list your occupation. The most common profession out of all of our donors is teacher, which as a former teacher just really fills my heart. So this is very much working people giving five, 10, $15 at a time. Some of them are on a monthly plan, you know, just like you pay for Netflix or a newspaper subscription. They are helping to fund a candidate that can represent them in Washington, D.C.

Yeah, I'm really proud of this people-powered movement that we've built. And you're the only candidate not taking corporate PAC money. That's right. Is that sustainable long-term? I think so. I think we're proving that with this fundraising success. If you can inspire enough people, if you can mobilize enough people to give small amounts of money, then I don't think you need the corporate packs.

You don't need the Walmarts or the Exxon Mobil. of the world to fund your campaign. You know, I, as a legislator, was always, you know, I had an open-door policy when I was in the State House to local businesses who employed my constituents. I'll have the same policy as a U.S. Senator. I want to work with our business leaders to make sure we support Texas businesses, big and small. I just don't think that corporate influences should have that much sway with a elected official.

So it's why I've tried to limit the influence in my campaign and hopefully in my Senate office. You talk a lot about billionaires and their puppet politicians. I want to get granular for a minute on this. I think this is super important. There's probably a lot of people watching this wondering who maybe know my story or my journey. So, you know, I feel so blessed to be one of many people who believe in and have lived the American dream. And I remember working so many jobs. My parents were so hardworking. You know, I'm the first person my family go to college. But I remember, you know, Denny's waitress. I remember

just working so hard. And eventually I built my own company from my living room. And eventually over a thousand employees was able to sell it to L'Oreal, the biggest beauty company in the world, for a whole lot of money. And can you talk about your passion behind talking about talking about billionaires and their puppet politicians, why people at home should care about this and how you are so clear. And I think this is so powerful, James,

when you talk about this, when you talk about how so many of us are focused on the wrong 1%. can you share that? So we still want people passionate about the American dream. Right, of course. And can you kind of explain where you are there? Yeah. I mean, I really see this campaign as on a mission to revitalize that American dream

that you lived, that a lot of people have had the privilege to live, but it's slipping out of reach for a lot of people. I saw a stat that 90% of baby boomers went on to earn more money than their parents, which I think is a pretty fair deal. definition of the American dream, right? Being more successful than the generation before you. For millennials, it's 50%. For Gen Z, it's even lower than that. So the American dream that was a reality for the vast majority of people in that generation is now slipping out of reach for millennials and Gen Ziers. And that is not because our generations are lazier. It's because

the structure of the economy itself has changed over the last 50s. years and the structure of our political system. Both of those systems, our economic and political systems over the last 50 years were corrupted by the wealthiest people in this country. Billionaires, billionaire mega donors, Elon Musk is now on track to become the world's first trillionaire. And they have rigged through their donations to politicians by buying politicians. they have rigged the economic system to benefit them at our expense through a whole bunch of different ways, taxes, regulation, you know, jobs and industries and unions, the power to organize.

All of these things in concert have led us to this moment where a person who's listening to this podcast right now in Texas can't afford to make their ends meet. They, they're trying to figure out where they're going to get enough money to pay the mortgage and the child care bill and insurance and utilities and transportation. Now with gas prices rising, and they're trying to figure out why do I feel like I'm drowning when I work hard? Why can't I seem to get ahead no matter how many hours I put in? And what I'm trying to point out is that it is the folks at the very top who've corrupted our

political system and who have rigged the economy in their in their favor, that is the real problem. It's why I say that the real fight in this country is not left versus right. It's top versus bottom because whether you're a little more progressive or a little more conservative, whether you like Democrats or like Republicans, we're all getting screwed. None of us can afford our housing. None of us can afford child care. None of us can afford our prescription drugs. None of us can afford to put our kids through college. And so we have to figure out how to unrig this economic system. And it starts by getting the corruption out of our politics. I'm not trying to demonize these billionaire mega donors. Again, loving my enemies. I think the world

that we're going to build with shared prosperity, with more wealthy people who pay their fair share in taxes and who don't use all the loopholes to get out of it, I think that world is going to be better for all of us, whether you're wealthy or whether you're working class. And And I think it will lead to more success, not less, because I want people to be successful. I want people to live the dream that you've gotten to live. I've said before, I want an economy that creates more millionaires and fewer trillionaires, right? I want that success to be to be broad-based. I want it to be shared.

Just like we did in the 20th century, you know, when we had the largest middle class in the world after the second world war, we grew together as a country. and it was the greatest economic prosperity we've experienced as a nation. And it was because wealthy people and corporations felt a responsibility to their fellow citizens. You know, I think about the great American companies, GM, GE, they had a more expansive definition of shareholder, right? It was the shareholders weren't just the people who own stocks in the company. it was the workers, the families of those workers, the customers, the community members, right, the nation. And so there was a sense of civic, there was a sense of corporate citizenship.

And I feel like over 50 years of trickle-down economics, all that has gone out the window. Now it is all just, what can I do for me, for our bottom line, for my very narrowly defined shareholders and screw everybody else. And because those very wealthy people have bought politicians to help them rewrite these rules of the road, all the wealth that's been created of the last 50 years has gone to the top 1%. And none of it is shared by the people who actually created that wealth, right? The people who made it possible. So all I'm advocating for, I'm not trying to demonize billionaires. I feel like I'm trying to humanize billionaires. I'm trying to get us to see each other as part of one nation, one community, to love our neighbors

and hoarding a trillion dollars to yourself, more money than you could spend in a hundred lifetimes. That is not love. And, you know, our faith traditions warn us about concentrated wealth and power and the danger of that. And so I'm trying to, I think in this campaign, bring us back to a point as a country where we are growing and thriving together as one community, rather than just the folks at the very top at our expense. And you think your fight to end corruption in government will bring it back to a place where you're like, great, the American dream is live and well. Everyone can go for it. You can, you know, become a millionaire or a billionaire, but pay your taxes. Don't be in a situation where, oh, you're a billionaire and you're not paying taxes, but, oh, you're making $40,000 a year.

is a teacher and you're paying a whole bunch of taxes. That's right. And that doesn't make sense. That's right. And you're trying to get it back to what's fair, but you're still pro-American dream. Become successful. Build it. That's right. Yeah. Absolutely. And those two things are very much linked together. Yeah. That American dream is one that's only possible if we have an economy, me if we have a government that works for all of us, not just the people at the very top. You know, the average Texan pays about 14% of their income in federal income taxes. The 400 wealthiest Americans pay half that as a percentage. You know, I'm talking about the wrong number.

I'm talking about as a percent of their income. And that just seems completely backwards to me. I think it seems backwards to everybody. And so I think we have to rewrite the rules. of this economy. We have to reform this political system so that we can start to grow together again and revitalize that American dream so that more people can realize and fulfill their God-given potential. It's wild how there are so many corporations that are making just phenomenal amounts of money, barely paying any taxes, if any, and then they have employees that literally can't make enough money

they're having to apply for assistance while working there. And so that means you and I are subsisting. subsidizing that corporation's bottom line. Yeah. Because if I'm putting my hard-earned taxes into Medicaid to cover employees at Walmart, that means that I am subsidizing Walmart's profit margins. And I just, nothing against Walmart. I shop at Walmart.

I think my problem is that the most powerful people, the wealthiest people, need to step up and do their fair share. And a lot of them do, which is great. But I think it can't just be, it can't just be the honor system anymore. We've got to close these loopholes. We've got to crack down on tax cheats and ensure that we are growing again together as a country and that everyone feels a sense of patriotism, economic patriotism, a sense of citizenship, and recognizes you know, what they owe to this country. Because, you know, even those successful people were able to do it because they had people supporting them, they had schools educating them, they had infrastructure, they had roads

to drive on to move their products. Like it was, you know, it was a partnership between that entrepreneur, their dream, their grit, their hard work, and in a community that fosters it and makes it possible. And so then there's a relationship between those two things. And that relationship has been severed over the last 50 years. I think it's so powerful when you talk in real people language to real people. And I think for decades, people have heard, oh, corporate loopholes and this, but they haven't actually understood that if you don't end corruption in government, just how it impacts the fact that you cannot

afford your rent, you can't have. I mean, and the amount of taxes people are paying that it's just, yeah. So I think that I think people are understanding why a lot of terms you would hear in the political world before, but not really understand how they impact you. I think a lot of people are understanding how they're impacting them right now. And I think that's another reason people are really resonating, you know, the stuff that you're talking about. I want to talk about crime. Yeah. Because crime is a big issue for a whole lot of people. And, you know, you're so, you're so passionate about love your neighbor, all of our neighbors. What if your neighbor is a criminal? And what is your plan to reduce crime?

Yeah, I think public safety is the most important thing the government does. And again, I'm a former teacher. So public education is my passion. But I think public safety comes before everything. Because if you're not safe, if you don't have a safe neighborhood, if you're not secure in your home, if your family's not secure, it's really hard to care about anything else. And so we have to have policies that ensure public safety. If someone calls 911, a professional needs to answer that call and show up immediately. People need to feel safe in their neighborhoods. They need to feel safe in their homes. And I have a record in the state legislature of supporting policies that promote public safety, supporting law enforcement, supporting border

security, because I take public safety so seriously. And I do believe that's the a part of loving thy neighbor. Wanting security and safety for your neighbors is how you show love. And if a neighbor threatens that security, then that person needs to be kept away from others for their own benefit because you don't want them hurting other people. At the same time, in our justice system, we have to be focused on rehabilitation whenever possible. I think those two things, those two things are not mutually exclusive. You can both ensure that violent criminals are locked up and be fighting for rehabilitation programs that can help people get back on their feet when that's possible. And I've fought for both those policies at the state Capitol,

fought to have resources to crack down on crime and fought for justice reforms to ensure that we are rehabilitating more inmates than we are now. I'm thinking about how I was watching a video of you talking about crime on YouTube. And the first thing I noticed, by the way, is all these other politicians' ads popping up that are like literally bidding their ads or their teams are, their campaigns are, on any video you're on right now. And just to change the subject for a minute, I think this is fascinating because you're one of the most widely requested guests in the history of our show.

So many people have requested to have you on. A lot of people are talking about you everywhere. But in the research for our interview, I felt like, Every video I pulled up on YouTube, there was other politicians' ads on your video, which I think is a huge compliment. I guess so. I mean, I think that it's just an interesting moment right now. And I think, you know, anyone who's maybe listening to us right now on a podcast app,

try this. Go to YouTube. Watch this interview on YouTube. Watch what ads pop up for you. Like, seriously, just right now, it's fascinating. It's fascinating the attention that you're getting. and it's not just across Texas. It's everywhere, but I do want to ask you about Texas. Yeah. Because we are days away from knowing who you're going to face in the Texas U.S. Senate race in November.

So you'll be facing either incumbent Senator John Cornyn, who's a 74-year-old, who's been in the seat for 24 years, which you talk about 80-year-olds earlier. If he would be 80. Do you want to know a fun fact? Yeah. John Cornyn was first elected to public office. six years before I was born. Wow. Yeah. So, yeah, he's been there for a while. Or Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a 63-year-old who's been embroiled in a lot of scandals and lawsuits for many years, including having been impeached and later acquitted. I'd love to hear your thoughts on both possible opponents, starting with John Cornyn. Well, so I actually don't

think it matters who comes out of this runoff because we already know who. We already know who. we're running against, we're running against those billionaire mega donors who have corrupted our political system and have rigged the rules of this economy. This movement we're building is a lot bigger than any one politician, in my mind. Whether it's Cornyn or Paxton, whether it's President Trump, like, it's bigger than any of those personalities because we're trying to go after the system itself, right? That's producing the kind of corruption that you see from Ken Paxton or John Cornyn. Because both of them have really forfeited their right to represent all of us in the U.S. Senate. Both of them have sold us out time and time again.

Ken Paxton's crimes are well known. I was part of the bipartisan majority in the Texas House that voted to impeach our corrupt attorney general. So I know his crimes better than most people do. But I would say that John Cornyn is even more corrupt. than Ken Paxson, which is surprising. I don't know if people are going to believe me when I say that, but John Cornyn was the deciding vote on that big ugly bill last year that people may remember.

It's a bill that is going to kick millions of Texans off their health care. It's going to take food out of the mouths of hungry Texas children, all to give yet another tax break to John Cornyn's billionaire mega donors. And Ken Paxton was in place. impeached for using his public office to enrich his donors in a very literal, illegal way. But John Cornyn, at a massive scale, is using his public office to enrich his donors. So to me, it's two sides of the same corrupt coin. And I think it's the kind of politics that people are sick of on both sides of the aisle. And I think that's what's motivating this movement. It's really not about

them as individuals, them as as individual lawmakers, it is them as as symptoms of a of a sick system. I'm shocked to hear you say that. I think a lot of people have been surprised that you just said who you feel is more corrupt. Yeah. But what you're saying also is it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter who you're going to be up against. Because we're running against that corruption.

Yeah. And whether it takes the Kemp-Paxton form, which is an illegal. kind of individualistic corruption, or if it's John Cornyn, which is a legalized, systemic form of corruption. Both are, I think, are grotesque in a democracy, but we're going to be running against that corruption, regardless of what form it takes in a Republican opponent. Joe Rogan and many others are already calling for you to run for president. I know you're focused on the U.S. Senate right now, but I have to ask you the question. Will you one day run for president?

All right. This conversation with James Talleyico, so incredible, we made it into multiple parts. From where James stands on issues you care about most to answering all the questions you wrote in to ask him, he is truly opening up like never before. And one thing I can promise you, you'll leave part two feeling hopeful and inspired. You are not going to want to miss this incredible part two of our conversation with James Talarico coming up in the next episode of the Jamie Kern-Lima show. Remember, this episode's not just for you and me.

Please share this with every single person that you know because it can impact and change their life too. And if you love today's episode, please click. the follow or subscribe button for the show on the app that you're listening to it on or watching it on. And if it added value to your life, if you could please give it a rating or review, I love a great five star. We'd be so, so grateful and just share it with everyone you believe in. Maybe it's another person in your life who could benefit from it. Maybe someone you know is going through a tough time and needs some hope, need some inspiration, or just needs to feel less alone and more enough. Please share it with others online in your community who just might

need the words and tools and lessons in this episode today. You never know whose life you're meant to change today by sharing this episode. And thank you so much for joining me. Before you go, I want to share some words with you that couldn't be more true. You right now, exactly as you are, are enough and fully worthy. You're worthy of your greatest hopes, of your wildest dreams, and of all the unconditional love in the world. And it's an honor to welcome you to each and every episode of the Jamie Kernelima Show. Here, I hope you'll come as you are. Heal where you need, blossom what you choose, journey toward your calling and stay as long as you'd like because you belong here. You are worthy. You are loved. You are love. And I love you. And I cannot wait

to join you on the next episode of the Jamie Kernelima show. In life, you don't sort to the level of your hopes and dreams, you stay stuck at the level of your self-worth. When you build your self-worth, you change your entire life. And that's exactly why I wrote my new book, Worthy, How to Believe You Are Enough and transform your life for you. If you have some self-doubt to destroy and a destiny to fulfill, worthy is for you. In Worthy, you'll learn proven tools and simple steps that bring life changing results, like how to get unstuck from the things holding you back. Build unshakable self-love. Unlearn the lies that lead to self-doubt and embrace the truths that wake up worthiness. Overcome limiting beliefs and imposter syndrome.

Achieve your hopes and dreams by believing you are worthy of them and so much more. Are you ready to unleash your greatness and step into the person you were born to be. Imagine a life with zero self-doubt and unshakable self-worth. Get your copy of Worthy, plus some amazing thank you bonus gifts for you at worthybook.com or the link in the show notes below. Imagine what you do if you fully believed in you. It's time to find out with Worthy. Who you spend time around is. so important as energy is contagious and so is self-belief. And I'd love to hang out with you even more, especially if you could use an extra dose of inspiration, which is exactly why I've

created my free weekly newsletter that's also a love letter to you delivered straight to your inbox from me. If you haven't signed up to make sure that you get it each week, just go to Jamie Kernlema.com to make sure you're on the list and you'll get your one-on-one with Jamie weekly newsletter and get ready to believe in you. If you're tired of hearing the bad news every single day and need some inspiration, some tips, tools, joy and love hitting your inbox, I'm your girl. Subscribe at jamiekernlima.com or in the link in the show notes. And please note, I'm not a licensed therapist, and this podcast is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional.