Jodi Hunt challenges US Senate candidate James Talarico on abortion

Jodi Hunt, a theology professor at the University of Dallas, challenged Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico regarding his stance on abortion during a CNN/Jubilee town hall in Fort Worth, Texas, on Oct. 14.

Talarico told Hunt that the Bible is silent on the issue of abortion. Hunt responded that the Bible addresses the topic through the commandment not to kill and noted that such suggestions are insulting to Catholics.

Hunt told EWTN News that she believed Talarico was attempting to appear as a centrist to undecided voters or dissatisfied Republicans, though she did not find him convincing. She stated that respect for human life must guide the process of deciding who to vote for.

Fort Worth Bishop Michael Olson agreed with Hunt on social media, stating that the right to life is the primary moral issue because all human rights depend on a person being alive. During the event, Talarico called Pope Francis and Pope Leo XIV his spiritual heroes, noting their pro-life stances on abortion, poverty, climate change, and war.