'The Chosen' actor endorses James Talarico, claims candidate reflects real 'Christian values'

' The Chosen ' actor Jordan Walker Ross endorsed Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico on Thursday, helping launch a faith-based voter coalition ahead of November's election while drawing criticism from a Republican state lawmaker over taxpayer-funded Hollywood subsidies.

Ross, who portrays the apostle Little James in the popular faith-based television series , announced his endorsement in a campaign video promoting "Faithful Texans for Talarico," an initiative intended to attract religious voters.

"A lot of politicians like to talk about Christian values, but you don’t really see that reflected in their legislation or the way that they live, but you do see that in the way that James lives.

He loves his neighbor; he takes care of the needy, the sick, the immigrant," Ross said.

A spokesperson for Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton's campaign slammed Talarico's appeals to Christian voters in a statement to Fox News Digital, accusing the Democrat of using his religious beliefs to justify progressive positions on social issues. 'OFFICE' STAR SAYS JAMES TALARICO'S RELIGIOUS BELIEFS 'ACHINGLY CLOSE' TO JESUS CHRIST "Everything about James Talarico is fake," the spokesperson said.

"He uses his beliefs to justify his most radical positions, all while calling himself ‘a Christian who hates Christianity.’ In Talarico’s twisted version of Christianity, a follower of Christ is required to bend the knee at thealtar of the radical trans agenda, disavow the oil and gas industry, support late-term abortion, and open the door to every criminal illegal immigrant seeking asylum.

I’m still looking through the Bible to find those passages, but I wouldn’t call it Christian." Texas state Rep.

Brian Harrison, R-Texas, also criticized the endorsement on X , accusing state lawmakers of subsidizing actors who support Democrats.

"Your money is being used to help elect Democrats like James Talarico," he said.

Harrison also took aim at Texas Senate Bill 22 , which expanded Texas' film incentive program.

Texas Film Commission records show that The Chosen Texas LLC received approximately $862,527 for its second season in 2022 and another $1.995 million for its fourth season in March 2025, totaling near $2.86 million.

Both payments preceded the new legislation's September 2025 effective date.

In a follow-up statement to Fox News Digital, Harrison slammed the film program as a "socialist scheme to give billions of tax dollars to rich, woke, Hollywood leftists." He argued that production offsets "directly or indirectly" subsidize actor salaries, pledging to introduce legislation next session to repeal the "indefensible" Hollywood subsidies.