Staff ReportsA new report says James Talarico, the Democratic candidate running for U.S. Senate from Texas, hired a former leader of the campus protest group “Cocks Not Glocks” as a legislative aide who helped draft his gun-control bills. The claim comes from the New York Post and, if true, raises questions voters deserve answered about who is shaping Talarico’s gun policy and how far the Democratic nominee is willing to go to erase Second Amendment protections in Texas.
What was reported about James Talarico and Ana López
The New York Post reports that Talarico employed Ana López, a former organizer with “Cocks Not Glocks,” and that she helped craft three firearm-restriction bills Talarico filed in 2019. That protest group is famous for handing out thousands of sex toys on the University of Texas campus to mock campus‑carry laws. The hiring-and-drafting claim is the new development here — it is being reported, but not independently confirmed by other major outlets at this time.
Why this matters to Texas voters and the Texas Senate race
Voters should care about who is writing the laws a candidate promotes. Talarico lists universal background checks, safe-storage laws, raising the purchase age for certain rifles to 21, red‑flag laws, and prosecuting gun traffickers among his “commonsense” proposals. Those are policy choices. What is striking to many Texans is the reported link to a protest movement whose tactics were designed to shock, not persuade. If true, the hiring would be a headline-grabbing reminder that Talarico’s gun agenda may have been shaped by activists uncomfortable with traditional Second Amendment protections.
Background: Cocks Not Glocks, the 2019 bills, and what’s verified
“Cocks Not Glocks” is well documented. In 2016 the group distributed thousands of sex toys on campus to protest campus‑carry. Ana López was publicly identified as an organizer then. It is also clear from Talarico’s campaign materials and his legislative record that he supported gun‑safety measures and filed related bills in 2019. What is not fully verified — and needs straight answers — is the NY Post’s specific claim that López was hired as a legislative aide and drafted those bills. Independent confirmation from the Talarico campaign, legislative staff records, or López herself would settle that question.
Bottom line: Voters should demand clarity
This is a campaign race that could be decided by a few points — polls show a tight contest between Talarico and Attorney General Ken Paxton. Texans deserve transparency. If Talarico wants to run on “commonsense gun safety,” fine. But he should tell voters who actually wrote the bills and whether activists with theatrical stunts were advising his legislative work. The New York Post has raised a serious question. Team Talarico and Ana López should answer it plainly — no political spin, no press releases, just facts. That’s what responsible voters expect on an issue that touches the Second Amendment and public safety.
