On a Tuesday night in March, Texas Democrats chose State Rep. James Talarico over Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett to carry their hope of breaking a long statewide drought, a state that has not elected a Democrat to a statewide office in more than three decades. Talarico, a seminarian who speaks often in the language of scripture, offered his victory as a turn away from the old fights of politics. On the Republican side the story remained unfinished, as Sen. John Cornyn and Ken Paxton were sent to a May 26 runoff, each now seeking the favor of a president who has not yet chosen between them. The
Talarico Wins Texas Democratic Senate Nomination; Cornyn and Paxton Head to May Runoff
Voters in Dallas and Williamson counties were turned away or redirected to different precincts due to new primary rules, and some ballots face separation after court action.
No Democrat has won statewide in Texas in over 30 years
Mark
Talarico won, but the Republican side is the bigger unknown. Why?
Mimi
Neither Cornyn nor Paxton reached 50%, so they meet in a May 26 runoff. Hunt's third-place finish made an outright win harder, and Trump hasn't endorsed.
Luke
Worth noting that Trump's silence is a fact, not a prediction. The reporting says both are courting him and that an endorsement could matter. It doesn't say he will give one.
Mark
Cornyn spent heavily, didn't he?
Mimi
At least $64 million in TV ads alone since July, counting his allied groups. And still he skipped an election night party.
Luke
That figure covers television only, and it's a minimum. Whether the spending helped isn't established. He still ended up in a runoff.
Mark
What about the voting problems in Dallas?
Mimi
Voters said they were turned away or redirected to other precincts under new primary rules. Hours were extended, Paxton's office challenged that, and the state Supreme Court said late ballots should be separated.
Luke
And it's unclear how that gets carried out or how many ballots are affected. Crockett says people were disenfranchised, but that's her claim. The reporting doesn't show a number, and a lawsuit is planned, not filed.
Mark
Does that change the outcome?
Mimi
Nothing in the reporting says it does. Talarico was projected the winner, and the open questions are about the ballots in Dallas County.
Luke
Right. We can say he won. We can't say how close or how the disputed ballots figure in.
Le Pouls
- Texas Democrats have a nominee, and the party is daring to hope for an upset in a state it has not carried statewide in over thirty years.
- Republicans are locked in a bitter runoff between Sen. John Cornyn and Ken Paxton, with millions of dollars in attack advertising already spent.
- Trump has not endorsed either man, leaving both campaigns courting his favor as the May 26 deadline approaches.
- Polling-place confusion in Dallas and Harris counties has opened the door to legal fights over disputed ballots.
- Crockett's campaign has signaled a lawsuit, and the final tally of eligible votes in her home county remains unsettled.
On a Tuesday night in March, Texas Democrats chose State Rep. James Talarico over Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett to carry their hope of breaking a long statewide drought, a state that has not elected a Democrat to a statewide office in more than three decades. Talarico, a seminarian who speaks often in the language of scripture, offered his victory as a turn away from the old fights of politics. On the Republican side the story remained unfinished, as Sen. John Cornyn and Ken Paxton were sent to a May 26 runoff, each now seeking the favor of a president who has not yet chosen between them. The night also carried a quieter lesson about democracy itself, since voters in some counties were turned away or redirected, and the ballots of people caught in that confusion now await a court's judgment.
State Rep. James Talarico won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Texas on Tuesday night, defeating Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett in an expensive and hard-fought primary. The win gives Democrats a candidate and renewed hope in a state where no Democrat has won statewide in more than 30 years. In his victory remarks Talarico said, "We're about to take back Texas."
On the Republican side, nothing was settled. Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton will meet in a May 26 runoff, since neither reached the 50% needed to win outright. Both ran on their ties to President Donald Trump, who has not endorsed, so each now competes for his favor. Cornyn, seeking a fifth term, has spent heavily on television to steady his support, and he warned that a Paxton nomination would be a dead weight on the ticket. Paxton, who has national name recognition from his lawsuits against Democratic initiatives, remains popular in Texas despite a past impeachment trial that ended in acquittal.
Election day was marred by confusion. Voting hours were extended in Dallas and Williamson counties after voters said they were turned away or sent to other precincts under new primary rules. A state Supreme Court ruling now requires that ballots cast by people not in line by 7 p.m. be set apart, though how that will work and how many eligible ballots are involved remains unclear. Crockett's campaign said she plans to sue, warning that people had been disenfranchised.
Two things to watch now: whether the legal challenge over the Dallas ballots goes anywhere, and whether Trump picks a side before May 26.
State Rep. James Talarico won the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Texas on Tuesday night, beating Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett in an expensive, hard-fought primary. The result gives Democrats a candidate and renewed hope of an upset in a state where no Democrat has won statewide in more than 30 years, and where the party last won a Senate seat in 1988. In a statement after his victory, Talarico said, "We're about to take back Texas."
On the Republican side, nothing was settled. Sen. John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton will meet in a May 26 runoff, because neither cleared the 50% threshold needed to win outright. U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt finished a distant third and conceded, but his presence in the race made an outright win harder for anyone. All three candidates ran on their ties to President Donald Trump, who has not endorsed, so Cornyn and Paxton now compete for his favor. The runoff is expected to turn increasingly nasty.
Cornyn is seeking a fifth term and hopes to avoid becoming the first Republican senator in Texas history to run for reelection and not be renominated. His cool relationship with Trump is part of what made him vulnerable. He and allied groups spent at least $64 million on television advertising alone since July to steady his support. He held no election night party. Speaking 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 "a flawed, self-centered and shameless candidate."
Paxton, who began campaigning in earnest only last month, has made national headlines for suing over Democratic initiatives. He remains popular in Texas despite a 2023 impeachment trial on corruption charges, which ended in acquittal, and accusations of marital infidelity by his wife. Speaking to supporters in Dallas, he said he felt as he had on a recent trip to Mar-a-Lago, and declared, "Texas is not for sale." Senate GOP leaders back Cornyn. They worry that Paxton's liabilities would make the seat harder to defend and force spending that could go elsewhere.
The Democratic race was a contrast in styles. Crockett built a national profile with sharp attacks on Republicans and focused on turning out Black voters in the Dallas and Houston areas. Talarico, a seminarian who often cites the Bible, held rallies statewide, including in heavily Republican areas. Both argued they were the stronger general election candidate in a state Trump carried by almost 14 points in 2024. Talarico outspent Crockett on television by more than four to one as of late February. He also got a surge of attention and donations last month when CBS declined to air his interview with late-night host Stephen Colbert, who said the network pulled it for fear of angering Trump's FCC. Before the race was called, Talarico told supporters in Austin, "We are trying to fundamentally change our politics. And it's working."
Voters echoed the split. Tanu Saini of Dallas said Talarico "really spoke to me in the way he tries to unify." Tomas Sanchez, a Dallas County voter, backed Crockett because "she cares about immigrants."
Election day was marred by confusion. Voting hours were extended in Dallas County and Williamson County, outside Austin, after voters said they were turned away or sent to different precincts because of 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 separated from the rest. It was unclear how that would be carried out or how many eligible ballots remained in Dallas County, Crockett's home base. In Harris County, a spokesperson said voters were still at 20 centers as of 10 p.m. Crockett's campaign said she planned to sue, and she warned briefly that "people have been disenfranchised."
Down-ballot races, run under congressional maps that Republican lawmakers redrew at Trump's urging, produced upsets. Rep. Dan Crenshaw lost to state Rep. Steve Toth, who was endorsed by Sen. Ted Cruz. Trump-endorsed lawyer Eric Flores beat former Rep. Mayra Flores and will face Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez. Rep. Tony Gonzales, who faced scrutiny over an alleged affair with a staffer who later killed herself, heads to a runoff with gun manufacturer Brandon Herrera in a district that includes Uvalde. Former baseball star Mark Teixeira won the Republican nomination to succeed Chip Roy, who advanced to a runoff with Mayes Middleton for attorney general. Gov. Greg Abbott won easily and will face Democrat Gina Hinojosa.
Two things to watch now: whether Crockett's legal challenge over the Dallas ballots goes anywhere, and whether Trump picks a side before May 26.
Citations marquantes
We're about to take back Texas.— James Talarico, after his primary victory
A Paxton win would leave a dead weight at the top of the ticket for Republicans.— Sen. John Cornyn, speaking to reporters in Austin
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