James Talarico’s Girlfriend: All About the Texas Senator’s Love Life
James Talarico has turned Texas blue for the first time in decades. Until November 3, the state hadn’t elected a Democratic politician to the Senate since 1988. Talarico, a middle school teacher-turned politician, joined the Texas House of Representatives in 2018 and announced his campaign for the U.S. Senate in 2025, defeating Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
All the while, the 37-year-old has had his girlfriend by his side. Brianna Menard wasn’t just supporting him personally during the campaign trail — she was part of Talarico’s campaign team. Over the summer of 2026, Talarico shared publicly that he has a girlfriend who used to work for him, according to the New York Times. Keep scrolling for all the details about the new senator’s relationship history.
Who is James Talarico’s girlfriend?
Menard is a 30-year-old native Texan. According to her professional bio, she is currently the Director of TEXPAC and Political Education at the Texas Medical Association. “With nearly a decade of experience in the Texas Legislature, she previously served as Executive Director of the Early Childhood Caucus of the Texas House, leading bipartisan efforts to advance early learning, childcare access, workforce development, and healthcare affordability,” it says.
She studied government at The University of Texas at Austin, works as Board Secretary for Wheatsville Food Co-op, and is part of City of Austin’s Early Childhood Council.
Menard was Talarico’s chief of staff at the Texas House in 2022, and they didn’t start dating until 2023. “Four years ago, after he and his then-chief of staff developed feelings for each other and started dating, she left the office to pursue other opportunities,” a Talarico campaign spokesman said, per The New York Times. “As right-wing operatives continue to attack James’s loved ones, the campaign is asking the public to respect Brianna’s privacy as a private citizen.”
“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,” Talarico said on The Jamie Kern Lima Show in May 2026, not naming her at the time. “We actually worked together and then we became best friends and then we fell in love and we’ve been together ever since.”
Despite her political experience, Menard wasn’t involved in her boyfriend’s Senate campaign. “I don’t think she wants any part of this, running for Senate,” Talarico explained. “I think she’s very proud of me and very supportive. But there’s just been so many attacks coming at me and coming at our team, coming at my church, my pastor. And so 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 I’m trying to balance running this race while also protecting them and protecting her in particular.”
Has James Talarico been married?
In case you missed it — Talarico isn’t married and hasn’t been married before. It’s uncommon for a Texas senator to be unmarried. Per the New York Times, the last unmarried Texas politician to win an election was Tom Connally, who was reelected years after his wife died in 1940.
Does James Talarico have kids?
View this post on Instagram
Talarico doesn’t have kids, but he wants to start a family one day. “It’s kind of hard in the middle of this campaign to think 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,” Talarico said on The Jamie Kern Lima Show, adding that seeing his sister and brother-in-law become parents has solidified his desire to become one himself.
