State Rep. James Talarico won the Texas Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, defeating Rep. Jasmine Crockett with a faith-based populist message. The contentious race was marked by record turnout, massive Super PAC spending, and racial tensions. Voting in Dallas County was disrupted by GOP-backed rule changes, prompting legal challenges. Talarico now faces a Republican opponent emerging from a runoff between Sen. John Cornyn and Ken Paxton.
Talarico primary victory
- ▪Talarico, a 36-year-old state representative, defeated U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the primary
- ▪A Democrat has not won a statewide election in Texas in over 30 years, with the last U.S. Senate victory in 1988
- ▪James Talarico won the Texas Democratic primary for a U.S. Senate seat on March 3, 2026
- ▪The Republican primary for the same Senate seat is headed to a May runoff between incumbent Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton
- ▪Jasmine Crockett conceded on the morning of March 4, 2026, and called for party unity
- ▪The primary drove over 1.5 million voters to the polls during early voting, more than double the turnout in the 2022 midterm primary
Populist faith-based messaging
- ▪Talarico pitched a "politics of love" and argued the central political divide is not "left v right" but "top v bottom."
- ▪Talarico's campaign raised $1 million in the first 12 hours after its launch, primarily from small-dollar individual donations
- ▪Talarico campaigned on a populist, "top-versus-bottom" message rooted in his Christian faith
Dallas County voting disruption
- ▪A judge's order to extend voting hours in Dallas and Williamson counties was challenged by Attorney General Ken Paxton
- ▪The Texas Supreme Court ordered that ballots cast after the original 7 p.m. closing time be segregated, creating uncertainty about their inclusion
- ▪Jasmine Crockett stated her campaign planned to file a lawsuit over the voting issues, alleging voter disenfranchisement
- ▪Voting in Dallas County was disrupted by confusion over a rule change, pushed by the local Republican party, regarding polling locations
Race identity politics tensions
- ▪A TikTok creator accused Talarico of calling former Democratic Senate nominee Colin Allred a "mediocre Black man," an allegation Talarico denied
- ▪The primary was marked by tensions over race and identity, with Crockett describing concerns about her electability as "racist dog whistles."
Super PAC spending
- ▪A pro-Talarico super PAC, Lone Star Rising PAC, spent $7.7 million, while a pro-Crockett super PAC spent less than $500,000
- ▪Talarico's campaign spent $15.3 million on ads, compared to Crockett's $4.3 million
Republican interference tactics
- ▪A conservative group, American Sovereignty, funded a text message campaign highlighting Crockett's opposition to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
- ▪Republicans indicated a preference to run against Crockett, with Sen. John Cornyn calling her candidacy a "gift."
- ▪A super PAC connected to Senate GOP leadership called Talarico a "far-left liberal" who is "wildly out of step with Lone Star voters."
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