Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico defended the idea of debating the "defund the police" movement during a 2020 call with progressive activists, according to a CNN KFile report published Monday.

Talarico, who was then serving in the Texas House, made the remarks during a call with Texas Rising, a progressive organization that at the time openly supported defunding police departments. The discussion took place as nationwide protests and unrest followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Talarico argued that it was hypocritical for "defund the police" to be considered off-limits in political discussions when Texas lawmakers had supported cuts to other government programs.

"As an educator, it's always rich to me that 'defund the police' is considered off-limits in our political debate," Talarico said, according to the recording. He compared the slogan to reductions in spending on health services and public education.

Talarico acknowledged that the phrase was generating backlash in his politically competitive district. At the same time, he argued that voters could distinguish between calls to defund police departments and discussions about whether armed officers should respond to situations such as minor traffic incidents or mental-health emergencies.

His campaign now rejects the characterization that he supported defunding police. Spokesman JT Ennis called that claim a "flat-out lie," saying Talarico has supported Texas law enforcement and first responders and pointing to votes that directed billions of dollars toward local law enforcement.

His broader record from that period, however, includes several statements and actions that have drawn renewed scrutiny. In 2020, following the release of footage involving the death of Javier Ambler II during an encounter with Williamson County sheriff's deputies, Talarico said the policing system was "deeply broken" and needed to be replaced "with something new and something better."

His campaign told CNN that the statement was taken out of context and referred to reality television programs about policing rather than a call to abolish or defund police departments.

That same month, Talarico's campaign donated $2,500 to the Austin Justice Coalition, an organization that advocated reducing the city's police budget.

Talarico made another reference to reducing spending on police and prisons during a 2022 graduation ceremony for incarcerated students. He argued that redirecting money from wars, prisons and policing toward education, health care and jobs could eventually make prisons unnecessary.

The resurfaced comments come as Talarico has attempted to present a more moderate image during his campaign for the U.S. Senate. He has acknowledged that some of his statements from 2020 "missed the mark" while seeking to distinguish his current positions from his rhetoric during the unrest that followed Floyd's death.

Talarico is challenging Republican Ken Paxton for the Senate seat, with recent polling showing the two candidates in a closely contested race. The renewed focus on Talarico's earlier positions comes as both campaigns seek to define their opponents for Texas voters ahead of the general election.