Texas Democratic Senate hopeful James Talarico didn't hesitate when asked to name his favorite drag queen at a campaign event, picking a performer who has publicly described himself as someone who "works with children."

Video captured at the event shows a man approaching Talarico, telling the candidate he'd seen him defend drag performers in the past. The man then asked a direct question: "Who's your favorite drag queen in Texas?" Talarico answered without a pause: "Oh, my gosh. Probably Alyssa Edwards." The exchange, first reported by Fox News Digital, adds another layer to a campaign already dogged by questions about Talarico's record on cultural issues involving children.

Alyssa Edwards is the stage name of Justin Dwayne Lee Johnson, a drag performer who has been open about his involvement with young people. Johnson operates the Beyond Belief Dance Company, which works with child performers. He was featured in a 2018 Netflix docuseries called "Dancing Queen," in which a 10-year-old male student Johnson called his "mini-me" dressed as Alyssa Edwards during an episode, the Dallas Observer reported.

Johnson shared a stage with his dance students at World Pride

Johnson has spoken publicly about bringing children into his drag world. In an interview with Out magazine, he described one such moment:

"I remember being at World Pride in New York a few years back and sharing the stage with my dance students, one of the most powerful moments of my life."

Fox News Digital reached out to Johnson's representation for comment. The article did not indicate whether a response was received.

Talarico's quick, familiar answer suggests more than passing awareness of the drag scene. This is not the first time the state representative has put himself in close proximity to drag culture and children at the same time. In 2021, Talarico headlined a "Taylor PRIDE" event in Taylor, Texas, where an 11-year-old boy performed in drag under the stage name Kween Kee Kee, as the Washington Free Beacon reported.

A year later, in 2023, Talarico praised Texas for having "some of the best drag queens in the nation." He has also reversed course on transgender athletes in girls' sports after years of fighting on the opposite side, a pattern of shifting positions that raises fair questions about what he actually believes versus what he thinks voters want to hear.

Talarico's campaign deflects with an attack on Ken Paxton

When Fox News Digital asked the Talarico campaign about the exchange, spokesperson JT Ennis did not address the substance of the question. Instead, he offered a redirect aimed at Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton:

"James' favorite performer is Ken Paxton, who dresses up as attorney general while giving sweetheart deals to child sex predators."

The statement did not explain, retract, or qualify Talarico's on-camera answer. It did not address Johnson's documented work with minors. And it did not explain why a Senate candidate running in Texas would have a favorite drag queen at the ready.

The deflection fits a broader pattern among Democrats running in competitive races: when confronted with culturally uncomfortable positions, pivot to an attack rather than defend the record. Voters in Texas, a state where parents have pushed back hard against drag performances involving children, may not find the dodge convincing.

Talarico has also made headlines for declaring "God is nonbinary" and for telling Fox News in a separate exchange that he "missed the mark on some of my past statements." He said he no longer believes there are six sexes, and suggested that people were raising those past comments because they didn't want to talk about "six dollar diesel" under Republican leadership. The video of the drag queen exchange was published by Fox News in September 2026.

Talarico is not the only Democratic candidate in Texas navigating controversy over cultural issues. A Democratic House candidate recently drew scrutiny for defending a graphic music video depicting sexual violence and murder, part of a wider pattern in which the party's candidates find themselves explaining away past associations that sit poorly with mainstream voters.

Talarico's own public statements tell the fuller story

Talarico has said publicly that he supports transgender children in terms that go well beyond the mainstream. Breitbart reported two direct quotes from the candidate: "There's only one person who can determine a child's gender identity, and that's the child," and "I love the trans children who showed up yesterday at the state Capitol to advocate for their humanity."

Those statements, paired with his headlining a pride event where an 11-year-old performed in drag and his instant recall of a drag performer who works with children, paint a consistent picture. This is not a candidate who stumbled into a gotcha moment. This is a candidate whose record shows sustained engagement with a cultural movement that many Texas parents view as inappropriate for minors.

Talarico has already faced a hostile crowd at a Houston town hall as his voter outreach hit turbulence. The drag queen exchange is unlikely to smooth that path.

The gap between Talarico's recent attempts to moderate, walking back the "six sexes" claim, reversing on transgender athletes, and his reflexive, enthusiastic naming of a drag performer who proudly works with children suggests the moderation is cosmetic. When the question came without warning, the unscripted answer arrived instantly.

Texas voters deciding who should represent them in the U.S. Senate now have another data point. And unlike the carefully workshopped walk-backs, this one was caught on camera, no spin required.

When a candidate's rehearsed answers say one thing and his unguarded moments say another, voters should trust the moment he wasn't ready for.