He’s no Tofu Talarico — however he’s received a tofu-loving girlfriend.
Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico’s mysterious beau is a vegan political lobbyist who beforehand labored as his chief of workers, The Put up has realized.
Brianna Menard, 30, describes herself as a “dedicated vegan,” yoga buff and cat mother who likes “dancing the evening away” at native homosexual bar Cheer Up Charlies in Austin, in accordance her bio at an area meals coop, the place she serves on the board.
“James shouldn’t be and by no means has been a vegan, a lot to his girlfriend’s chagrin. Because the saying goes, real love conquers all,” mentioned Talarico spokesman JT Ennis in a press release Friday.
Regardless of Menard’s dietary preferences, Talarico — a state lawmaker who dominated the Lone Star State’s Senate Democratic main in March — has dismissed rumors of his personal vegan-ness as “combating phrases” after his Republican rival, former Texas lawyer normal Ken Paxton, accused him of being meat-free.
“I’m an eighth-generation Texan,” he has mentioned. “I’ve been consuming barbecue since earlier than Ken Paxton’s first indictment.”
Along with highlighting his opponent’s remark that “God is non-binary” and different remarks in favor of gender fluidity, Paxton has additionally dubbed him “tofu Talarico,” “six-gender Jimmy,” “James Talafreako” for his supposed hippie-dippy way of life.
Talarico has gleefully embraced the latter moniker, placing the slogan, “I’m a Talafreako,” on his personal marketing campaign T-shirts and promoting the merchandise for $36 a pop.
The pair met when Menard landed a job in Talarico’s workplace in 2022 — however didn’t begin courting til January the next yr.
Information of Talarico’s mysterious lover broke earlier this month, although he declined to disclose her id.
“She is my rock. She is my greatest good friend,” Talarico first mentioned on an episode of the “The Jamie Kern Lima Present” podcast. “I don’t know if I might have gotten by means of the final six months of this loopy race if she hadn’t been by my aspect.”
That bae he saved underneath wraps seems to be a picture-perfect Democratic activist with a lily-white file.
Menard at present works as a lobbyist for the Texas Medical Affiliation targeted on “bipartisan efforts to advance early studying, childcare entry, workforce improvement, and healthcare affordability.”
However the affiliation has wrangled with Texas Republicans with its help for puberty blockers and hormone care and what it has referred to as their “criminalization of evidence-based, gender-affirming take care of transgender youth and adolescents.”
Its PAC has donated to the GOP and endorsed Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) over former state lawyer normal Ken Paxton of their 2026 main race.
In the meantime — Menard, who was first recognized by Texas outlet Present Revolt — had managed to remain out of the highlight.
After working for Talarico, Menard went on to turn out to be chief of workers for state Consultant Salman Bhojani in January 2023.
Bhojani recalled in a December 2022 panel with the Texas Tribune how he “had an exquisite state consultant ship me an electronic mail saying that their chief of workers would like to get a job.”
Talarico and Menard often attend music live shows — together with visiting Austin Metropolis Limits yearly — and prefer to hike at Massive Bend Nationwide Park yearly, in addition to take different journeys, photographs obtained by The Put up present. They’re additionally avid Texas Longhorns faculty soccer followers and San Antonio Spurs devotees.
Brianna additionally has Texas roots with one ancestor, Michael B. Menard, having each a West Central state county named after him. He additionally signed the Texas Declaration of Independence.
Talarico trounced Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) within the March 3 Democratic main and hopes to turn out to be the primary non-Republican elected to statewide workplace since Ann Richards was voted as governor in 1990.
Fox host Jessie Watters questioned whether or not or not Talarico was simply making her up on Wednesday’s version of “Jesse Watters Primetime.”
“Does she stay in Canada?” a co-host quipped.
