James Talarico Defeats Jasmine Crockett in Heated Texas Senate Primary as Democrats Look to Flip the Seat Blue
James Talarico Defeats Jasmine Crockett in Heated Texas Senate Primary as Democrats Look to Flip the Seat Blue
Kyler AlvordWed, March 4, 2026 at 11:46 AM UTC
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Texas state Rep. James Talarico defeated U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett in Texas' heated Democratic primary for SenateCredit: AP Photo/Eric Gay; Omar Vega/Getty -
James Talarico is projected to defeat Jasmine Crockett in Texas' Democratic Senate primary
Talarico will advance to the general election in November, where polling suggests Democrats are within striking distance of flipping a U.S. Senate seat in the historically conservative state
The Senate seat that Talarico is eyeing has not been occupied by a Democrat since 1961
State lawmaker James Talarico defeated U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett in Texas' heated Democratic Senate primary on Tuesday, March 3, earning his party's nomination for the battleground U.S. Senate seat.
Talarico is projected to advance to the general election in November, according to The , following a closely watched primary season that saw him overtake Crockett, a name-brand congresswoman who campaigned on energizing the existing Democratic base rather than appealing to moderates and Republicans.
He will now face off against the winner of the Republican primary election in an attempt to flip a longtime GOP-held Senate seat blue. No Democrat has held the seat since 1961, though polling suggests the party could be within striking distance.
Talarico, an Austin-area representative who has served in the Texas House since 2018, rose from relative obscurity to a national name after going viral for challenging the idea that progressive politics are at odds with Christian values. The 36-year-old Presbyterian seminary graduate delivered a widely viewed 2023 sermon in which he slammed MAGA's approach to fusing Christianity and government, calling Christian nationalism a "cancer on our religion."
"There is nothing Christian about Christian nationalism. It is the worship of power — social power, economic power, political power — in the name of Christ. And it is a betrayal of Jesus of Nazareth," he said. "Jesus includes, Christian nationalism excludes. Jesus liberates, Christian nationalism controls. Jesus saves, Christian nationalism kills. Jesus started a universal movement based on mutual love, Christian nationalism is a sectarian movement based on mutual hate."
"They have coopted the son of God," Talarico continued. "They've turned this humble rabbi into a gun-toting, gay-bashing, science-denying, money-loving, fear-mongering fascist, and it is incumbent upon all Christians to confront it and denounce it."
In Texas, where approximately 67% of adults identified as Christian as of a 2023-2024 poll by the Pew Research Center, Talarico's call for a more inclusive faith elevated his status within the Democratic Party as a messenger who could reframe the liberal agenda.
Texas state Rep. James Talarico launches his U.S. Senate campaign in Round Rock on Sept. 9, 2025Credit: Callaghan O'Hare for The Washington Post via Getty
Crockett, 44, quickly became one of the most visible and outspoken progressives in Congress after joining the U.S. House in 2023. She currently sits on the House Judiciary Committee and is the No. 2 Democrat on the headline-making House Oversight Committee.
The St. Louis–born lawmaker previously worked as a public defender in Bowie County, Texas, before starting her own law firm that focused on civil rights and personal injury. She served two years in the Texas House of Representatives before heading to Washington, D.C.
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Crockett announced her candidacy for Senate in December 2025, three months after Talarico launched his campaign. Pointing to recent losses in the Democratic Party, she made the case that energizing the progressive base is a more effective strategy for winning elections than trying to sway moderates and Trump-doubting Republicans.
Up against a pro-Talarico super PAC and heavily out-fundraised and out-advertised, the congresswoman relied on her track record as a fighter in Congress to appeal to voters.
“For the last 30 years, we’ve tried it the traditional way, and it’s not worked. And the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over,” Crockett told CNN on the campaign trail. “In this moment, there is nothing traditional about how our government is operating, and so I think that people are looking for something different.”
U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett at a San Antonio campaign rally on Feb. 22, 2026Credit: Joel Angel Juarez/Getty
Despite Talarico's rising popularity, Crockett held a commanding lead in some polls released ahead of the primary election.
His campaign got a last-minute boost after his February appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert was pulled from the live broadcast over alleged concerns about angering the Federal Communications Commission. The interview still aired on YouTube, where host Stephen Colbert asked Talarico about the perceived censorship by the FCC.
"I think that Donald Trump is worried that we're about to flip Texas," Talarico said. "And Stephen, this is the party that ran against cancel culture. And now they're trying to control what we watch, what we say, what we read. And this is the most dangerous kind of cancel culture. The kind that comes from the top."
"They went after The View because I was on there, they went after Jimmy Kimmel for telling a joke they didn't like, they went after you for telling the truth about Paramount's bribe to Donald Trump," Talarico continued. "Corporate media executives are selling out the First Amendment to curry favor with corrupt politicians. A threat to any of our First Amendment rights is a threat to all of our First Amendment rights."
With his primary victory, Talarico will now face the Republican Senate nominee in the general election on Nov. 3, 2026.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
