Texas State Rep. James Talarico defeats Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the Democratic Senate primary, positioning himself for the general election while ending Crockett’s bid for higher office.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Texas voters delivered a decisive result in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, with state Rep. James Talarico defeating Rep. Jasmine Crockett and advancing to the general election in a contest that concluded Crockett’s campaign for higher office.
With 86% of ballots counted, Talarico received 53.1% of the vote compared with Crockett’s 45.6%, according to results compiled by the Associated Press.
The outcome gives Talarico several months to prepare for the general election while Republicans determine their nominee. The GOP contest between longtime Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is headed to a runoff scheduled for late May.
Crockett entered the Senate race after choosing not to seek reelection to her safe U.S. House seat, opting instead to enter the statewide contest. Her campaign strategy differed sharply from Talarico’s approach.
During the race, Crockett largely avoided traditional campaign methods while positioning herself as a vocal opponent of President Donald Trump. She initially hesitated to invest in television advertising before eventually releasing a campaign spot that used anime-style imagery and artificial intelligence-generated crowds.
Talarico, a former middle school teacher who is currently pursuing a divinity degree, adopted a more conventional campaign strategy that focused heavily on television outreach. His advertisements aired across the state in both English and Spanish.
The candidate also committed $10,000 to air a campaign advertisement during the Super Bowl and spent more than $8.6 million on advertising during the campaign. A political action committee affiliated with Talarico, Lone Star Rising, added another $4.1 million in spending to support the effort.
Polling conducted late in the race indicated Crockett faced a more difficult path in the general election. One set of recent polling suggested Paxton trailed Talarico in a potential November matchup, while Crockett trailed both Paxton and Cornyn in hypothetical general election scenarios.
Despite the primary outcome, Crockett has committed to supporting Democratic candidates statewide in an effort to flip Texas in the November election.
Talarico’s campaign gained additional financial momentum during the final weeks of the primary. After appearing on Stephen Colbert’s program on Feb. 17, the candidate raised $2.5 million in donations.
The final days of the race also saw controversy on social media following comments related to a shooting outside a bar in Austin. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott responded publicly after Talarico issued a statement about the incident, which was later linked to a shooting under investigation by authorities.
“You and your immigration policies would make America less safe,” Abbott wrote in a message on X that fired back at the Democrat’s statement. The governor’s post received roughly 1.6 million views prior to election day.
Crockett has previously engaged in public disputes with Abbott. In March 2025, she sparred with the governor after referring to him as “Governor Hot Wheels,” a remark she later said referred to trains used by Texas officials to transport illegal immigrants.
The congresswoman also drew attention after she called President Donald Trump “Temu Hitler,” referencing the Chinese e-commerce platform.
Past events from Crockett’s early legal career also resurfaced during the campaign. In 2006, she rented a vehicle with a man who had previously been convicted of robbery. The arrangement later led to a lawsuit after a crash involving the vehicle, an incident first reported in December 2025.
With the Democratic nomination now secured, Talarico advances toward the November election while Republicans finalize their nominee in the Cornyn–Paxton runoff that will determine the GOP challenger in the statewide race.
Original article
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