SouthernWorldwide.com – Texas Representative James Talarico is projected to win the Democratic U.S. Senate primary in Texas. This victory positions him to face either incumbent Republican Senator John Cornyn or Attorney General Ken Paxton in the general election.
Talarico has secured enough votes to avoid a runoff, a significant achievement in what has been one of the most closely watched races of the current midterm election cycle. The outcome was announced by CBS News.
Representative Jasmine Crockett, Talarico’s opponent, conceded the race. In a statement released on Wednesday, Crockett announced she had called Talarico to congratulate him on becoming the Democratic nominee for the Senate.
“Texas is primed to turn blue and we must remain united because this is bigger than any one person,” Crockett stated. She emphasized the importance of unity for the future of Texas and the nation, urging Democrats to rally behind their nominees.
Crockett added, “This is about the future of all 30 million Texans and getting America back on track. With the primary behind us, Democrats must rally around our nominees and win. I’m committed to doing my part and will continue working to elect democrats up and down the ballot.”
Speaking on Tuesday night before the final results were tallied, Talarico highlighted the substantial voter turnout. He expressed optimism about the movement he has helped to build, stating, “we are trying to fundamentally change our politics, and it’s working.”
The Texas Senate primary has already set a record for being the most expensive primary in history. Both the Republican and Democratic races have underscored significant internal divisions within their respective parties.
On the Democratic side, Crockett, a former public defender, gained national recognition for her outspoken opposition to President Trump and other Republicans. She cultivated an image as a strong fighter, appealing to the Democratic base.
In contrast, Talarico, a former middle school teacher and a Presbyterian minister-in-training, centered his campaign message on a “politics of love” and inclusivity. This approach offered a different vision compared to Crockett’s more combative style.
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Democrats have not achieved a statewide victory in Texas since 1994. However, the party has harbored hopes of winning this Senate seat since Beto O’Rourke narrowly lost to Republican Senator Ted Cruz by a mere three percentage points in 2018.
Democrats believe that Republican candidates are particularly vulnerable in Texas this year. This perception is fueled by the intensely competitive and often acrimonious Republican primary contest between long-serving Senator John Cornyn and state Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Despite the historical challenges, Democrats have faced difficulties in unifying behind a single candidate for this Senate race. Several prominent Democrats were rumored to be considering a run, including O’Rourke himself, Representative Joaquin Castro, and former Representative Colin Allred.
Allred, who challenged Cruz in 2024, officially entered the race in July. Talarico followed suit, announcing his candidacy in September, setting the stage for a competitive primary.
The Texas Senate race is unfolding in the wake of actions taken by Republican state legislators. In a move encouraged by President Trump, they redrew the state’s 38 House districts. This redistricting effort led some Democrats to leave the state to prevent a quorum for voting on the new map.
These Democratic efforts garnered significant national attention and resulted in the raising of millions of dollars, which subsequently placed an increased spotlight on the Senate race.
The Dallas-area district, Texas’s 30th, which Crockett previously represented in the House, was among those that underwent redrawing. On the December filing deadline, Allred withdrew from the Senate race, choosing instead to compete in the newly redrawn House District 33.
Following Allred’s decision, Crockett entered the Senate race, creating a direct contest with Talarico. Republicans reportedly welcomed Crockett’s entry, believing she might be a more susceptible candidate in the general election.
With Talarico and Crockett largely aligned on many key issues, the primary race largely evolved into a contest of personalities and campaign strategies. Both candidates actively campaigned across the state, employing distinct styles and airing critical advertisements against each other.
Talarico garnered national attention in February when he was scheduled to appear on CBS’ “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.” However, the interview did not air on the CBS broadcast network due to new FCC guidance.
Stephen Colbert publicly criticized the decision and instead broadcast the full interview on the show’s YouTube channel, which is not subject to the same FCC regulations. Following this controversy, Talarico reported raising $2.5 million in the 24 hours after the incident.
According to VoteHub, an early voting tracker, approximately 1.5 million votes were cast in the Democratic primary during the 11-day early voting period. This figure represents more than double the number of votes tallied in the same period four years prior.
The election faced last-minute disruptions on Tuesday. A judge in Dallas County issued an order to keep polling stations open for an additional two hours, citing widespread confusion regarding new precinct voting rules. However, the state Supreme Court intervened and stayed the decision.
The state Supreme Court ruled that any ballots cast after the standard 7 p.m. Central Time closing should be separated. It remains unclear how many ballots were cast after the deadline or what the final disposition of those votes will be.
Crockett, a resident of the Dallas area who was reportedly leading in Dallas County by a significant margin, expressed doubt late Tuesday about the election results being finalized that evening. She attributed this uncertainty to the issues encountered in Dallas.
“Unfortunately, this is what Republicans like to do. And so they specifically targeted Dallas County. And I think we all know why,” Crockett told her supporters.
Talarico did not formally declare victory in his remarks to supporters in Austin. However, he stated, “we are confident in this movement we’ve built together.” He also characterized the situation in Dallas as an act of “voter suppression.”
The general election will pit the Democratic nominee against the winner of the Republican runoff between Senator John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton, which is scheduled for May 26.
