On a March night in Texas, a seminarian-turned-legislator named James Talarico set aside a bruising, expensive rivalry with Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett to claim the Democratic Senate nomination, and with it a fragile hope that a state long beyond the reach of its opposition might still surprise the country in November. Behind him, the Republican contest between Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton was left unresolved, sending a veteran officeholder and a controversial challenger toward a May 26 runoff in which the endorsement of a president who has so far stayed silent may prove
Talarico Wins Texas Democratic Senate Primary; Cornyn and Paxton Head to May Runoff
Cornyn could be the first Texas GOP senator denied renomination
Mark
Talarico won, but the story seems split between him and the Republican runoff. Why?
Mimi
Because his opponent isn't set. Cornyn or Paxton, decided May 26, and the race could hinge on whether Trump endorses.
Luke
Worth noting Trump hasn't endorsed anyone yet. Anything about which way he leans is speculation.
Mark
What's at stake for Cornyn personally?
Mimi
He could be the first Texas Republican senator to seek reelection and not be renominated. He and allies spent at least $64 million on TV since July.
Luke
That figure is for television alone, so it understates total spending, and it's a minimum.
Mark
And Crockett's complaint about Dallas?
Mimi
Voting was extended after people were sent to wrong precincts under new rules. The state Supreme Court ordered late ballots separated.
Luke
But nobody yet says how many ballots are affected or whether it changes the result. Her disenfranchisement claim is her statement, not a finding.
Mark
Does Talarico's win say much about November?
Mimi
Both candidates argued electability, but no Democrat has won statewide in over 30 years, and Trump won by almost 14 points.
Luke
Right, a primary win shows hope, not a forecast.
O Pulso
- Talarico defeated Jasmine Crockett in a costly, bitter Democratic primary, and his supporters now believe Texas could tilt in November.
- Dallas and Harris counties stumbled on election day, with voters turned away, polling hours extended, and the state Supreme Court ordering some ballots kept apart from the rest.
- Crockett's campaign plans to sue over the Dallas disruptions, and her brief concession speech warned that voters had been disenfranchised.
- Cornyn and Paxton failed to clear 50 percent and must face each other again on May 26, with Cornyn's seat at risk of becoming the first Texas Senate incumbent denied renomination in the state's history.
- Cornyn has poured more than $64 million into advertising while Trump stays neutral, leaving both Republicans scrambling to win the president's favor before the runoff.
On a March night in Texas, a seminarian-turned-legislator named James Talarico set aside a bruising, expensive rivalry with Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett to claim the Democratic Senate nomination, and with it a fragile hope that a state long beyond the reach of its opposition might still surprise the country in November. Behind him, the Republican contest between Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton was left unresolved, sending a veteran officeholder and a controversial challenger toward a May 26 runoff in which the endorsement of a president who has so far stayed silent may prove decisive. The evening also carried a quieter weight, as voting disruptions in Dallas and Harris counties raised questions about who was able to cast a ballot and whether every voice will be counted.
James Talarico has won the Texas Democratic Senate primary, defeating Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett in a contest that grew expensive and personal. Speaking to supporters in Austin, he framed his victory as a chance to change politics itself and said Texas had given the country a little hope. For a party that has not won a statewide race in Texas in more than three decades, his win revives the possibility of an upset in November.
Crockett's night ended in frustration. Her campaign said she would sue over voting problems in Dallas County, her home base, where voters were turned away and sent to other precincts under new primary rules. Hours were extended, the attorney general's office challenged the move, and the state Supreme Court ordered that ballots cast by voters not in line by 7 p.m. be kept separate. It remained unclear how many eligible ballots might go uncounted. In Harris County, voters were still waiting at 20 centers as late as 10 p.m.
On the Republican side, Sen. John Cornyn and Ken Paxton will face each other again on May 26 after neither reached a majority. Cornyn, who has been cool toward Trump, has spent heavily to protect his seat and warned that Paxton would be a burden at the top of the ticket. Paxton, who has drawn national attention despite a past impeachment trial that ended in acquittal, told supporters in Dallas that Texas is not for sale. Both now wait to see whether Trump, who has not endorsed, will choose a side.
State Rep. James Talarico beat Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett in the Texas Democratic Senate primary, closing out an expensive and bitter contest and giving his party fresh hope of an upset in November. Before the race was called, he told supporters in Austin: "We are not just trying to win an election. We are trying to fundamentally change our politics. And it's working." He added that Texas had "gave this country a little bit of hope."
Crockett's night ended differently. Her campaign said she planned to sue over voting problems in Dallas, and she spoke only briefly, warning that "people have been disenfranchised." Voting hours were extended in Dallas County, her home base, and in Williamson County outside Austin, after voters reported being 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 anyone not in line by 7 p.m. must be kept separate from the rest. It was not immediately clear how that would be carried out or how many eligible ballots remained uncounted in Dallas County. In Harris County, which includes Houston, a spokesperson said that at 10 p.m. there were still voters at 20 centers.
On the Republican side, nobody cleared the 50 percent bar. Sen. John Cornyn, seeking a fifth term, and state 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. All three candidates ran on their ties to President Donald Trump, who did not endorse, so Cornyn and Paxton now compete again for his favor.
Cornyn faces the prospect of becoming the first Republican senator in Texas history to seek reelection and not be renominated. His cool relationship with Trump is part of what left him exposed. 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, instead speaking to reporters in Austin, where he argued that a Paxton win would leave "a dead weight at the top of the ticket for Republicans." He called Paxton "a flawed, self-centered and shameless candidate."
Paxton, speaking to supporters in Dallas, said he felt as he had on a recent trip to Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Florida estate, and declared: "We proved something they'll never understand in Washington. Texas is not for sale." He began campaigning in earnest only last month and has drawn national attention for suing over Democratic initiatives. He remains popular despite a 2023 impeachment trial on corruption charges, which ended in acquittal, and accusations of marital infidelity by his wife. Senate GOP leaders back Cornyn and worry that Paxton's liabilities would make the seat costlier to defend.
The Democratic contest was a clash of styles. Talarico, a seminarian who often cites the Bible, held rallies statewide, including in heavily Republican areas. Crockett built a national profile with sharp attacks on Republicans and focused on turning out Black voters around Dallas and Houston. Both argued they were the stronger November candidate in a state Trump carried by almost 14 points in 2024, where no Democrat has won statewide in over 30 years and none has won a Senate race since 1988. Dallas voter Tanu Sani chose Talarico because he "really spoke to me in the way he tries to unify." Tomas Sanchez, of Dallas County, backed Crockett because "she cares about immigrants." Talarico outspent her on television by more than four to one as of late February, and gained attention and donations when CBS declined to air his interview with Stephen Colbert, who said the network feared angering Trump's FCC.
Down the ballot, new congressional maps drawn by Republican lawmakers at Trump's urging reshaped several races. Rep. Dan Crenshaw lost to state Rep. Steve Toth, endorsed by Sen. Ted Cruz. Eric Flores, endorsed by Trump, beat former Rep. Mayra Flores for the right to face Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez. Rep. Tony Gonzales and challenger Brandon Herrera, a gun maker and YouTube personality, head to a runoff in a district that includes Uvalde. Former MLB star Mark Teixeira won the GOP nod to succeed Chip Roy, who advanced to a runoff against 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 state Rep. Gina Hinojosa.
The next markers are Trump's possible endorsement in the May 26 runoff and whatever legal action Crockett brings over Dallas.
Citações Notáveis
We are not just trying to win an election. We are trying to fundamentally change our politics. And it's working.— James Talarico
Texas is not for sale.— Ken Paxton
Quer a matéria completa?
Leia o original em Baltimore Sun ↗
Politics & Governance