Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico released a campaign advertisement on Monday accusing former President Joe Biden of failing the country on border security. The move appears to mark a shift away from Talarico's previous positions, which included calls to eliminate the state's entire border security budget. In the new ad, Talarico states, "I called out Joe Biden for failing us on the border." However, his campaign could not provide an example of him publicly criticizing Biden during the former president's tenure. In a 2019 interview with The Austin Chronicle, Talarico argued that Texas should redirect its $800 million two-year border security budget toward public education. He stated, "I'd rather take that money and put it back into public education and help increase the basic allotment, for instance." At the time, that $800 million allocation represented the state's full budget for warding off illegal immigration. Talarico has sought to present a more moderate image amid concerns that his progressive stance makes him vulnerable in a red state. He described deploying resources to the physical border as expensive and ineffective, calling such efforts "political grandstanding" by lawmakers trying to appease their bases. His earlier remarks contrast with his current self-identification as a "border security" Democrat. Talarico has previously called for dismantling Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), describing it as a "secret police force." He also referred to illegal aliens as his "constituents" and criticized Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott's border policies as "atrocities," accusing Abbott of "hunting" immigrants. Campaign spokesperson JT Ennis told Fox News Digital that Talarico supports stronger enforcement and has called for more border patrol agents. Ennis noted that Talarico has proposed arresting and deporting violent criminals and human traffickers, but not mothers and babies. The spokesperson added that Talarico is the only candidate in the race with a border security agenda endorsed by Republican and Democratic border county sheriffs. The candidate's recent stance comes as border crossings fell to a 55-year low in 2025, according to the Department of Homeland Security. This decline followed a series of immigration enforcement measures implemented by the current administration. Talarico briefly disappeared from the campaign trail earlier this month, leading to online rumors that he was at a behavioral health center. He reappeared on Friday and explained that he was recovering from the flu. Talarico is running against Republican rival Ken Paxton for the U.S. Senate seat in Texas as the November midterms approach.