On a March night in Austin, a seminarian-turned-legislator named James Talarico claimed the Democratic nomination for the Texas Senate by defeating the sharper-tongued Jasmine Crockett in a costly and bitter contest. It is the kind of hope Texas Democrats have held before, a longing for change in a state that has not sent a Democrat statewide in more than three decades. On the Republican side, the state's establishment and its most combative figure now face each other in a May runoff, and the fight is as much over who holds Trump's favor as over the seat itself.
Talarico Wins Texas Democratic Senate Nomination; Cornyn and Paxton Head to May Runoff
Cornyn held no election night party.
Mark
Talarico won, but the Republican side is the bigger unknown, isn't it?
Mimi
It is. Neither Cornyn nor Paxton reached 50%, so they meet in a May 26 runoff, and Trump hasn't endorsed either one.
Luke
Worth noting that's a fact about the endorsement being absent, not a prediction of what he'll do. Nothing in the reporting says which way he leans.
Mark
Cornyn spent heavily, though.
Mimi
At least $64 million on TV since July, with allied groups. And he skipped an election night party.
Luke
The figure covers television only, so total spending is higher but unreported here. And skipping the party is a signal, not proof of anything about the runoff.
Mark
What about Crockett's complaint?
Mimi
Voting was extended in Dallas and Williamson counties after voters were turned away under new rules. The state Supreme Court ordered late ballots separated.
Luke
Careful: her campaign says it plans to sue and she said people were disenfranchised. That's her claim. How many ballots are affected is unknown, and it's unclear whether it could change the result.
Mark
And the November outlook?
Mimi
Democrats are hopeful, but no Democrat has won statewide in over 30 years.
Luke
Hope is the party's, and Talarico's line about taking back Texas is a campaign statement, not an assessment.
Der Puls
- Talarico's victory speech arrived before the race was even formally called, carrying a blunt promise that Texas is about to be taken back.
- Voting in Dallas County and Williamson County was extended after voters said they were sent to other precincts, and Crockett's campaign is preparing a lawsuit over ballots that may remain uncounted.
- Cornyn and Paxton failed to clear 50 percent, and with Trump silent, both are now courting the one endorsement that could decide the runoff.
- Senate Republicans back Cornyn but fear Paxton's scandals would make the seat expensive to defend, leaving the party's November prospects tangled in May's outcome.
On a March night in Austin, a seminarian-turned-legislator named James Talarico claimed the Democratic nomination for the Texas Senate by defeating the sharper-tongued Jasmine Crockett in a costly and bitter contest. It is the kind of hope Texas Democrats have held before, a longing for change in a state that has not sent a Democrat statewide in more than three decades. On the Republican side, the state's establishment and its most combative figure now face each other in a May runoff, and the fight is as much over who holds Trump's favor as over the seat itself.
In Austin on Tuesday night, State Rep. James Talarico told his supporters that his campaign was working to change politics itself. Before he could finish the thought, the race was called: he had beaten Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett in a bitterly contested Democratic Senate primary, giving his party a nominee and renewed hope for a November upset.
The odds are steep. No Democrat has won statewide in Texas in more than thirty years, and Donald Trump carried the state by nearly fourteen points in 2024. Still, Talarico declared, "We're about to take back Texas." The two candidates had offered different styles: Crockett, with her sharp attacks and her work mobilizing Black voters in Dallas and Houston, and Talarico, who held rallies even in heavily Republican areas and outspent her heavily on television.
Crockett's night ended in dispute. Voting was extended in Dallas County and Williamson County after voters said they had been turned away and redirected under new primary rules. Paxton's office challenged the extension, and the state Supreme Court ordered that certain late ballots be kept separate, leaving unclear how many eligible votes would ultimately count. Crockett's campaign says she will sue, warning that voters had been disenfranchised.
On the Republican side, no candidate reached the majority needed. Sen. John Cornyn, seeking a fifth term, and Attorney General Ken Paxton will meet on May 26. Cornyn, who held no election night party, called Paxton a flawed and shameless candidate, while Paxton told supporters that "Texas is not for sale." Trump endorsed neither, so both now compete for his favor.
Down the ballot, Republican-drawn maps reshaped several contests, with Rep. Dan Crenshaw losing his seat and other races heading to runoffs or setting up new matchups. For now, the two things to watch are whether Trump speaks before May and whether Crockett's legal challenge gains traction.
In Austin on Tuesday night, State Rep. James Talarico told supporters that his campaign was trying to fundamentally change politics, and that it was working. Before he finished the thought, the race had been called. Talarico beat Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett in an expensive, bitterly contested Democratic Senate primary in Texas, handing his party a nominee and, once again, hopes of a November upset.
The odds remain long. No Democrat has won statewide in Texas in more than 30 years, and the party's last Senate victory there came in 1988. Donald Trump carried the state by almost 14 percentage points in 2024. Talarico's statement after the win was nonetheless blunt: "We're about to take back Texas." Texas, North Carolina and Arkansas opened the midterm season on Tuesday, with control of Congress at stake and the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran as the backdrop.
The two Democrats offered different styles. Crockett built a national profile on sharp-tongued attacks on Republicans and worked to turn out Black voters in the Dallas and Houston areas. Talarico, a seminarian who often cites the Bible, held rallies across the state, including in heavily Republican areas. He outspent Crockett 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. Colbert said the network pulled it for fear of angering Trump's FCC, and the episode brought Talarico attention and campaign contributions. Dallas voter Tanu Sani said she chose him because he spoke to her in the way he tries to unify. Tomas Sanchez, a Dallas County voter, backed Crockett because she cares about immigrants and Americans in a way he said many Republicans have not.
Crockett's night ended in dispute. Voting was extended in Dallas County and in Williamson County, outside Austin, after voters said they were turned away and sent to other 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. should be kept separate. How that would be carried out, and how many eligible Dallas County ballots remained uncounted, was unclear. Crockett's campaign said she planned to sue. She spoke only briefly, warning that people had been disenfranchised. In Harris County, which includes Houston, a spokesperson said voters were still at 20 centers as of 10 p.m.
On the Republican side, no one cleared the 50% threshold. Sen. John Cornyn, seeking a fifth term, and Attorney General Ken Paxton will meet in a May 26 runoff. U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt finished a distant third and conceded, though his presence made an outright win harder for anyone. Cornyn hopes to avoid becoming the first Republican senator in Texas history to seek reelection and fail to be renominated. All three candidates ran on ties to Trump, who endorsed no one, so Cornyn and Paxton will now compete for his favor.
Cornyn held no election night party. In Austin he told reporters that a Paxton win would leave "a dead weight at the top of the ticket for Republicans," and called Paxton "a flawed, self-centered and shameless candidate." Cornyn and allied groups have spent at least $64 million on television advertising since July to steady his support, and his cool relationship with Trump is part of what left him exposed. Paxton, who began campaigning in earnest only last month, told supporters in Dallas, "Texas is not for sale." He has drawn national headlines for suing over Democratic initiatives and stayed popular despite his 2023 impeachment trial on corruption charges, which ended in acquittal, and accusations of marital infidelity by his wife. Senate GOP leaders back Cornyn and fear Paxton's liabilities would make the seat costlier to defend.
Down the ballot, new congressional maps drawn by Republicans at Trump's urging reshaped the contests. Rep. Dan Crenshaw lost to state Rep. Steve Toth, endorsed by Sen. Ted Cruz. Eric Flores, backed by Trump, beat former Rep. Mayra Flores for the nomination against Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez. Rep. Tony Gonzales, shadowed by an alleged affair with a staffer who later killed herself, goes to a runoff with gun maker and YouTuber Brandon Herrera in a district that includes Uvalde. Former baseball star Mark Teixeira won the GOP nod to succeed Chip Roy, who is in a runoff with Mayes Middleton for attorney general. Latin Grammy winner Bobby Pulido won the Democratic primary and will face Rep. Monica De La Cruz. Gov. Greg Abbott will face Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa.
Two things to watch: whether Trump weighs in before May 26, and whether Crockett's legal challenge over Dallas County goes anywhere.
Bemerkenswerte Zitate
We're about to take back Texas.— James Talarico, after his primary victory
Texas is not for sale.— Ken Paxton, addressing supporters in Dallas
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