On a March night in Texas, the long arc of American politics bent toward a familiar question: who will speak for a state that has not elected a Democrat statewide in three decades, and who will carry the Republican banner through a bruised and divided primary. State Rep. James Talarico, a seminarian who speaks often of scripture, won the Democratic Senate nomination over U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett in a costly contest that left old wounds visible. On the other side, Sen. John Cornyn and Ken Paxton were pushed toward a May 26 runoff, with a president whose endorsement has not yet been given stil
Talarico Wins Texas Democratic Senate Nomination; Cornyn and Paxton Face May Runoff
No Democrat has won statewide in Texas in over 30 years
Mark
Talarico won, but the Republican side is the bigger unknown, isn't it?
Mimi
It is. Cornyn and Paxton go to a May 26 runoff, and Cornyn is trying not to become the first Texas Republican senator to seek reelection and not be renominated.
Mark
And Trump stayed out of it.
Mimi
Right. All three major candidates ran on ties to him, and now Cornyn and Paxton keep competing for his endorsement.
Luke
Worth saying the endorsement is a possibility, not a forecast. The reporting says the runoff could hinge on it, nothing more.
Mark
Cornyn called Paxton dead weight on the ticket. Is that established?
Mimi
That's Cornyn's argument. Senate GOP leaders share worries about Paxton's liabilities, but it's a prediction.
Luke
Exactly. Same with Talarico's claim about taking back Texas. No Democrat has won statewide in over 30 years, so that's hope, not evidence.
Mark
What about Crockett's disenfranchisement claim?
Mimi
Her campaign says it will sue. Voting was extended in Dallas and Williamson counties after people were turned away under new rules.
Luke
And we don't yet know how the court's order to separate late ballots plays out, or how many Dallas ballots are affected. The size of the problem is unknown.
Le Pouls
- Talarico's win in the Democratic primary is a rare spark in a state where Democrats have been shut out of statewide office for more than thirty years.
- Crockett is refusing quiet acceptance, planning legal action over disenfranchised voters in Dallas, her home base.
- Polls stayed open late in Dallas and Williamson counties, and Harris County voters were still waiting at 10 p.m., turning election night into a scramble over ballots.
- Cornyn calls Paxton a liability and Senate GOP leaders worry about defending him, while Trump's silence keeps the runoff wide open.
- The runoff is set for May 26, and the next moves to watch are a possible Trump endorsement and whether ballot disputes end up in court.
On a March night in Texas, the long arc of American politics bent toward a familiar question: who will speak for a state that has not elected a Democrat statewide in three decades, and who will carry the Republican banner through a bruised and divided primary. State Rep. James Talarico, a seminarian who speaks often of scripture, won the Democratic Senate nomination over U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett in a costly contest that left old wounds visible. On the other side, Sen. John Cornyn and Ken Paxton were pushed toward a May 26 runoff, with a president whose endorsement has not yet been given still standing as the unseen arbiter.
By the time the Democratic race was called, Texas Republicans already knew they were headed for a second round. State Rep. James Talarico defeated U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett in an expensive and bitter Democratic Senate primary, while Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton were pushed into a May 26 runoff. The night opened a midterm season with control of Congress at stake and the war with Iran hanging in the background.
Talarico, a seminarian who often cites the Bible, was upbeat. "We're about to take back Texas," he said. He had held rallies across the state, including in heavily Republican areas, and outspent Crockett on television by more than four to one. Crockett, who built a national profile on sharp attacks against Republicans and focused on turning out Black voters in Dallas and Houston, was less ready to move on. Her campaign said she planned to sue over voting problems in Dallas, and she warned that people had been disenfranchised.
The voting itself was messy. Polls stayed open longer in Dallas and Williamson counties after voters said they were sent to different precincts under new rules. The state Supreme Court ruled that late ballots must be kept separate, and it remained unclear how many eligible votes were at stake. In Harris County, voters were still waiting at 20 centers as of 10 p.m.
On the Republican side, Cornyn, seeking a fifth term, argued that a Paxton win would leave "a dead weight at the top of the ticket," calling him "flawed, self-centered and shameless." Paxton, who survived a 2023 impeachment trial, answered from Dallas that "Texas is not for sale." Both men tied themselves to Trump, who has not endorsed, so they will compete again for his favor. The next things to watch are whether Trump weighs in before May 26, and whether the Dallas and Harris County disputes reach the courts.
By the time the Democratic race was called, Republicans in Texas already knew they were headed for a second round. State Rep. James Talarico beat U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett in an expensive, bitter Democratic Senate primary on Tuesday, while Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton were pushed into a May 26 runoff for the Republican nomination.
Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas opened the midterm season that night, with control of Congress at stake and the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran in the background. No Democrat has won a statewide race in Texas in more than 30 years, and the party has not won a Senate seat there since 1988. Talarico, a seminarian who often cites the Bible, was upbeat anyway. "We're about to take back Texas," he said in a statement after his win. Before the race was called, he told supporters in Austin the campaign was trying to fundamentally change politics, and that it was working.
Crockett was less ready to move on. Her campaign said she planned to sue over voting problems in Dallas, her home base, and she spoke only briefly Tuesday night to warn that people had been disenfranchised. The two candidates had pitched different strengths. Crockett built a national profile on sharp attacks against Republicans and focused on turning out Black voters around Dallas and Houston. Talarico held rallies across the state, including in heavily Republican areas. He also outspent her on television by more than four to one as of late February, and he got a lift last month when CBS declined to air his interview with late-night host Stephen Colbert, who said the network feared angering Trump's FCC. The episode brought Talarico attention and campaign contributions. Voters split along the same lines: Dallas voter Tanu Sani said Talarico spoke to her in the way he tries to unify, while Tomas Sanchez of Dallas County backed Crockett because she cares about immigrants.
The voting itself was messy. Polls stayed open longer in Dallas County and Williamson County, outside Austin, after voters said they were turned away and sent to different precincts under new primary rules. Paxton's office challenged the extension, and the state Supreme Court ruled that ballots cast by people not in line by 7 p.m. must be kept separate. It was unclear how that would work or how many eligible ballots remained in Dallas County. In Harris County, which includes Houston, a spokesperson said that as of 10 p.m. voters were still waiting at 20 centers.
On the Republican side, Cornyn is seeking a fifth term and hopes to avoid becoming the first Texas Republican senator to run for reelection and fail to be renominated. U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt finished a distant third and conceded, but his presence made it harder for anyone to reach the 50% needed to avoid a runoff. All three tied themselves to President Trump, who made no endorsement, so Cornyn and Paxton will now compete again for his favor.
Cornyn skipped an election night party and spoke to reporters in Austin. He argued that a Paxton win would leave "a dead weight at the top of the ticket for Republicans," and called Paxton "flawed, self-centered and shameless." His cool relationship with Trump is part of why he is vulnerable; he and allied groups have spent at least $64 million on TV ads since July. Paxton, who began campaigning in earnest only last month, is known for lawsuits against Democratic initiatives and stayed popular despite a 2023 impeachment trial on corruption charges, which ended in acquittal, and accusations of infidelity by his wife. Speaking to supporters in Dallas, he said "Texas is not for sale." Senate GOP leaders back Cornyn and worry that Paxton would be costly to defend in November.
Down the ballot, Rep. Dan Crenshaw lost to state Rep. Steve Toth, endorsed by Sen. Ted Cruz. Rep. Tony Gonzales and challenger Brandon Herrera head to a runoff in a district that includes Uvalde. Former MLB star Mark Teixeira won the GOP primary for Chip Roy's seat, and Roy advanced to an attorney general runoff against Mayes Middleton. Gov. Greg Abbott won easily and will face state Rep. Gina Hinojosa. Next to watch: whether Trump weighs in before May 26, and whether the Dallas and Harris County disputes end up in court.
Citations marquantes
We're about to take back Texas.— James Talarico, in a victory statement
Texas is not for sale.— Ken Paxton, speaking to supporters in Dallas
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