James Talarico is in the middle of a tough campaign to replace a long-time GOP senator in Texas, and he is attempting to boost his support among Black voters who are crucial for Democrats’ chance of success. This outreach has currently put Talarico in the awkward position of defending his recent primary opponent from attacks from some of Talarico’s own supporters.
Talarico defends Crockett, pledges outreach and policy to Black voters at Houston event
“Let me say this as clearly as I possibly can: If you claim to be my supporter, if you claim to be a part of this movement that we are building, please keep Congresswoman Crockett’s name out of your mouth,” Talarico said at a town hall in July. The remark went viral as a response to Crockett’s defenders who had called on Talarico to rein in his supporters from attacking the Congresswoman online. Talarico recently spoke with The Grio and elaborated on his comments, which he said he made because “I felt, just at a personal level, offended” at the remarks being made against Crockett. Talarico addressed the rumors of bad blood between himself and Crockett, noting the Crockett endorsed him the day after he defeated her in the Texas Democratic Senate primary. Talarico also responded to criticisms that he had not defended Crockett earlier, reminding voters that he had called for his supporters to show the “utmost respect” to Crockett even when they were running against each other. “I can’t obviously control every comment made on the internet,” Talarico said to The Grio, “but I can show leadership. And I’m trying to do a better job of that.”
Talarico’s continued defense of Crockett is part of a larger strategy of outreach to Black Texans that he articulated at a Houston town hall appearance in July, an outreach event intended to shore up support among Black voters. As part of his outreach, Talarico has pledged to spend $25 million in outreach to Black voters in Texas. “I’m committing to you here that we will be putting resources where our mouth is, and we’re going to be reaching out to these voters across the state so that we can win this race in November.” Talarico also used his Houston appearance to address a number of issues of importance to Black voters, including voting rights, support for Black farmers, and responding to President Trump’s attacks against diversity, equity and inclusion. Nevertheless, Talarico was met with a skeptical crowd during the event. “Black people don’t trust you for this reason,” attendee Kandice Webber said from the audience after it was announced that Talarico was close to wrapping up the session. “And you cannot win without us, so you stay here and you answer our questions — or you suffer the consequences.” Talarico told Webber that he was “happy to engage” and continued the event, reiterating his “desire to earn the trust of every Black Texan.”
Talarico seeks Black voter support in close Senate race
Talarico won the Democratic primary race against Crockett, partially based on the argument made by his supporters that he could better reach out to white and Latino voters and convince moderates and conservatives to vote for a Democrat. The primary race was sometimes tinged with racial tension, with many interpreting negative comments made about Crockett’s electability as thinly veiled attacks against her identity as a Black woman running against a white man in Texas. Talarico also received criticism, including from Crockett, after he was accused of making a racially insulting comment against former Rep. Colin Allred. Talarico denied that he called Allred a “mediocre Black man” in reference to Allred’s past House campaign, while saying “I understand how my critique of the Congressman’s campaign could be interpreted given this country’s painful legacy of racism.” While these incidents did not prevent Talarico from winning against Crockett, they have left a lasting impression among some Black voters, as evident during the Houston event.
Talarico is hoping to reengage Black voters as he seeks to win a close race against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who defeated sitting Sen. John Cornyn in the Republican primary to win the GOP nomination for the Senate seat. Recent polling data shows Talarico having the support of two-thirds of Black voters in the race against Paxton, while also leading among Hispanic voters and younger voters. Crockett endorsed Talarico shortly after the primary, though she has not appeared with him on the campaign trail. However, given the bad blood that the Democratic primary created among some Black voters and the continued negative comments about Crockett from some online commentators, Democratic supporters fear that Black turnout for the November election could drop, which would significantly hurt Democrats’ chances in Texas. Talarico emphasized to The Grio the need to promote unity within the party if it intended to win the Senate race in November. “If we’re really serious about winning this race, if people who claim to be my supporters or who claim to be part of this movement we’re building, if they’re sincere in that support, then they should be trying to heal divisions, not deepen divisions,” Talarico said.
With a close Senate race that will help determine control of Congress and other races that will shape the direction of policy in the state, Democrats are hoping to mobilize Black voters to win pivotal elections in Texas. Talarico has pledged to put in the time and resources to earn the vote of Black Texans while also calling out some of his own supporters, and the next few months will show the extent to which this effort will succeed.