On a Tuesday in early March, a thirty-six-year-old former middle school teacher from Austin, James Talarico, emerged as the Democratic choice for the Texas Senate seat, defeating the nationally prominent congresswoman Jasmine Crockett. The contest had grown bitter in its final weeks, as accusations about race, identity, and who truly deserved to lead came to dominate a campaign that was meant to be about policy. Talarico now faces a November test in a state whose Senate seat has not gone to a Democrat since 1988, and the outcome may help determine which party holds the Senate. His opponent wil
Talarico Defeats Crockett in Texas Democratic Senate Primary, Setting Up High-Stakes November Race
The first Democrat in nearly four decades to win a Senate election in Texas
Mark
Talarico won the primary. Why does this one matter beyond Texas?
Mimi
Because Texas is one of a handful of Senate races that could decide whether Republicans keep their 53-47 majority. No Democrat has won a Senate race there since 1988.
Mark
The race turned on race late in the campaign. What happened?
Mimi
An influencer claimed Talarico called Colin Allred a mediocre Black man in a private conversation. Talarico said he called Allred's campaigning mediocre, not the man, and denied any racial attack. Allred then publicly rebuked him.
Luke
Worth being clear that the original claim comes from one influencer's account of a private conversation. Talarico disputes it, and nothing here independently confirms what was said.
Mark
Crockett made her own accusation too.
Mimi
She said a Talarico-aligned super PAC darkened her skin in an ad and called it racist. She also called electability talk a dog whistle.
Luke
Those are her characterizations. The reporting doesn't say how the PAC responded or what the ad looked like, so that remains her claim.
Mark
Talarico outspent her, yet called himself the underdog.
Mimi
He dramatically outraised and outspent her over two months, but she was the better-known figure. His own profile grew through TikTok, Joe Rogan, and the walkout over redistricting.
Luke
And the $2.5 million figure after the Colbert episode is the campaign's own number, not independently verified. We also don't know how much that moment drove the primary result.
Mark
What should readers watch next?
Mimi
The Cornyn-Paxton runoff, which sets his November opponent.
Der Puls
- A bruising Democratic primary ended with Talarico defeating Crockett, leaving a party bruised by open accusations over race and tone.
- A disputed remark about former Rep. Colin Allred ignited a firestorm, with denials from Talarico and sharp rebukes from Allred and Crockett.
- Crockett's charge that a Talarico-aligned super PAC darkened her skin in an ad turned the final stretch into a fight over the meaning of racism in politics.
- Talarico is now racing toward a general election against the winner of the Cornyn-Paxton runoff, in a Texas race that could tip control of the Senate.
- Talarico's fundraising surge and national visibility give him momentum, but he must still prove he can reach beyond his base in a state Democrats have not won in decades.
On a Tuesday in early March, a thirty-six-year-old former middle school teacher from Austin, James Talarico, emerged as the Democratic choice for the Texas Senate seat, defeating the nationally prominent congresswoman Jasmine Crockett. The contest had grown bitter in its final weeks, as accusations about race, identity, and who truly deserved to lead came to dominate a campaign that was meant to be about policy. Talarico now faces a November test in a state whose Senate seat has not gone to a Democrat since 1988, and the outcome may help determine which party holds the Senate. His opponent will be decided by a Republican runoff between the incumbent John Cornyn and the attorney general Ken Paxton.
James Talarico, a 36-year-old state lawmaker from Austin, won the Texas Democratic Senate primary on Tuesday, defeating U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, a prominent progressive and vocal critic of President Donald Trump. The victory sets him on a path toward a November race that could help decide control of the Senate, where Republicans hold a 53-47 majority. If he prevails, he would be the first Texas Democrat to win a Senate seat since 1988.
The final weeks of the primary were consumed by race. An influencer claimed Talarico had privately dismissed former Rep. Colin Allred, a Black former NFL player and civil rights attorney, as a mediocre Black man rather than face a formidable Black woman. Talarico, who is White, denied any racial attack and said he had only criticized Allred's campaign style. Allred responded that Black women should be complimented without tearing down a Black man. Crockett then accused a Talarico-aligned super PAC of darkening her skin in an ad, calling it racist, and argued that doubts about her electability were a dog whistle.
Talarico, a former teacher and seminarian who speaks openly about his faith, built his profile over the past year through viral videos, a Joe Rogan appearance, and a high-profile stand against Texas redistricting. Despite being outraised by Crockett's campaign, he now carries momentum into the general election, where his opponent will be decided in the Republican runoff between Cornyn and Paxton.
James Talarico, a 36-year-old Democratic state lawmaker from Austin, won the Texas Democratic Senate primary on Tuesday, defeating U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, according to the Associated Press. Crockett is a nationally known progressive and one of President Donald Trump's most vocal critics.
The win makes Talarico the Democratic nominee in a race that could help decide control of the chamber. He now tries to become the first Democrat in nearly four decades to win a Senate election in Texas; the last to do so won in 1988. His opponent will be the winner of a Republican primary runoff between longtime incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Republicans hold the Senate 53-47, and Texas is one of a handful of contests nationwide that could decide whether they keep that majority in the midterms.
Talarico is a former middle school teacher and Presbyterian seminarian. He was first elected to the Texas House in 2018 by flipping a red district in northeast Austin and its surrounding suburbs. Crockett, 44, is a civil rights attorney who was first elected to Congress in 2022. In the closing weeks, race became a central issue in the contest.
About a month earlier, an influencer, Morgan Thompson, who posts on TikTok as @morga_tt, claimed that Talarico had told her in a private conversation that he had signed up to run against a mediocre Black man, not a formidable, intelligent Black woman. The man she meant was former Rep. Colin Allred, the 2024 Democratic Senate nominee, who lost to Sen. Ted Cruz by eight points. Allred ended his own Senate bid late last year, just before Crockett entered, and is now running for his old House seat. A former college football star who played in the NFL, he later became a civil rights attorney.
Talarico, who is White, pushed back in a statement. He said he had described Allred's method of campaigning as mediocre, but not his life and service, and that he would never attack him on the basis of race. Allred answered in a video on Monday. "James, if you want to compliment Black women, just do it," he said, adding that it should not be done while tearing down a Black man. Crockett, who is Black and was endorsed by Allred, said he had drawn a line in the sand, and that his post was about all people who have been targeted and demeaned as the country grows more divided.
A couple of weeks later, Crockett claimed that a super PAC aligned with Talarico had darkened her skin tone in an ad, calling it straight up racist. Late last month she also argued that talk that she was not electable statewide was a dog whistle that tore down a Black woman, and she called herself the most qualified candidate. Talarico, for his part, emphasized his ability to win over Republican voters and questioned whether Crockett could run a competitive general election campaign. Despite dramatically outraising and outspending her over the past two months, he cast himself as the underdog against the better-known congresswoman.
His national profile had been building for a year. Talarico speaks openly about his faith and how it shapes his progressive agenda. Viral social media appearances and TikTok videos with millions of views raised his visibility, as did an appearance last July on Joe Rogan's top-rated podcast, where Rogan suggested he should run for president. A month later he was a regular on cable news, giving dozens of interviews while he and dozens of fellow Texas House Democrats left the state for weeks to delay the Trump-led redistricting push to create up to five more right-leaning congressional seats. He launched his Senate campaign in September.
Last month, his scheduled appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" was pulled from broadcast TV and posted on YouTube instead. Colbert accused CBS of blocking the interview by citing Federal Communications Commission guidelines. Talarico's campaign said it raised $2.5 million in the 24 hours after what it called his censored interview.
What comes next depends on the Republican runoff between Cornyn and Paxton, which will set Talarico's November opponent.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
In my praise of Congresswoman Crockett, I described Congressman Allred's method of campaigning as mediocre — but his life and service are not. I would never attack him on the basis of race.— James Talarico, statement
James, if you want to compliment Black women, just do it. Don't do it while also tearing down a Black man.— Colin Allred, social media video
Möchten Sie die ganze Geschichte?
Das Original lesen bei Fox News ↗
Politics & Governance