NRA Hits James Talarico With Ad Over His Assault Weapons Stance
The National Rifle Association is running a 30-second television ad that attacks Texas U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico for backing a ban on so-called assault weapons. The spot is one piece of the NRA’s multi-million-dollar effort to keep pro-gun majorities in Congress through the November 2026 midterms. The ad plays Talarico’s own words twice, then argues he would outlaw the most popular firearms in Texas. Talarico’s opponent is Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The NRA has named Talarico a top priority, and it is pairing the ad with a Gun Bus tour and a get-out-the-vote drive across the state.
Key Details
The NRA built the ad around Talarico’s stated positions. Here is what the group put on the record:
- Format: A 30-second television spot, one component of a multi-million-dollar midterm investment.
- 2020 video: According to an NRA-ILA report, Talarico endorsed a ban on assault weapons and commonly owned magazines.
- NewsNation interview: Asked whether an assault weapons ban remains “on the table,” Talarico answered “Absolutely.”
- Ad message: The narrator says Talarico sides with “the most radical gun-grabbers in Washington” and tells viewers not to be left defenseless.
- Commerford statement: John Commerford, chairman of the NRA Political Victory Fund, said Talarico’s position is disqualifying for a Texas Senate candidate. He cited that nearly half of Texas households own guns and that millions of Texans own the rifles and standard-capacity magazines Talarico would ban.
- Legislative record: The NRA says Talarico voted against constitutional carry and supported stricter gun-control measures. The group has labeled him “Beto 2.0.”
- Gun Bus: The bus will make multiple Texas stops where members can review candidate records, register to vote, get issue updates, and join local get-out-the-vote events.
- Turnout tools: Commerford pointed to millions of Orange Cards, text messages, and door knocking as the group’s grassroots toolkit.
- Paxton: The NRA-linked source describes Paxton as a consistent Second Amendment supporter. It also claims Paxton’s primary opponent, Sen. John Cornyn, lost largely over his role in a gun control measure that affected Second Amendment rights.
Background
Texas already sits at the pro-carry end of the spectrum. Gov. Greg Abbott signed constitutional carry into law in 2021, letting adults carry handguns without a state permit. The move followed years of NRA lobbying and drew heavy opposition from Democrats. The federal assault weapons ban ran from 1994 until it expired in 2004, and Congress never renewed it. Since then, the debate has moved to state legislatures and campaign trails. In June 2022, the Supreme Court decided New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen. The ruling struck New York’s discretionary carry permit regime and told lower courts to judge gun laws against the nation’s historical tradition of firearms regulation. Two years earlier, District of Columbia v. Heller had protected an individual right to keep and bear arms and described weapons “in common use” as covered. The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, signed in June 2022, expanded background checks for younger buyers and funded state red flag programs. Cornyn helped negotiate that law, which is why the NRA-linked source ties it to his primary defeat.
Why It Matters for Gun Owners
This race reaches far beyond Texas. The Senate confirms federal judges, and those judges decide Second Amendment cases on appeal. A Senate majority that backs gun rights shapes which nominees reach the federal bench. If Talarico wins and the Senate tilts toward gun-control priorities, the next wave of judicial picks and any federal legislation would face a far harder path for gun owners. Texas carries real weight in that math, with a large population of AR-style rifle owners and millions of standard-capacity magazines already in circulation. Gun owners should check their voter registration now. Texas registration deadlines arrive weeks before Election Day, and missing one ends your voting options for the cycle. Read Talarico’s statements yourself, both the 2020 video and the NewsNation interview, instead of relying on either campaign’s clips. Also watch whether Paxton’s campaign makes its own specific pledges on federal firearms policy, since the NRA’s case rests on the contrast.
DownRange Analysis
The ad’s strongest argument is also its simplest: a candidate said “Absolutely” when asked about a ban. Heller’s “in common use” language gives courts a real basis to protect AR-platform rifles, and Bruen makes a ban harder to defend because the government must match modern laws to historical analogues. Any federal ban would draw immediate litigation, and the outcome would depend heavily on the judges confirmed in the next Congress. Market history matters too. Every time ban talk picked up in 2013, 2020, and 2022, rifle and magazine sales spiked as owners bought ahead of possible restrictions. Expect that pattern again if Talarico’s position gains traction. Practically, do three things right now. Confirm your registration, decide which candidate you will vote for, and contact your state Senate office and your U.S. Senate campaigns with a direct question about federal firearms policy. Demand specifics, not slogans.
