When Rep. Jasmine Crockett announced her decision to run to represent Texas in the U.S. Senate, her campaign drew national attention and even disparaging remarks from Vice President JD Vance. But another Democrat is also running to replace Republican Sen. John Cornyn. Here’s what to know about Crockett’s Democratic primary opponent.
Teacher-turned-politician Talarico reaches out to multiple audiences
James Talarico, a 36-year-old Texas state representative, is running against Crockett for the Democratic nomination for Cornyn’s Senate seat. Talarico has toured the state, spreading awareness of his candidacy and his policy positions. At a North Texas town hall event, Talarico discussed many of his proposals, such as forbidding Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from wearing masks and lessening their legal protections. Talarico, a former teacher, also called for greater protections for educators and proposed repealing the Trump tax cut for wealthy Americans and using the money to raise teacher pay across the nation.
Talarico has gained buzz and attention from various audiences. The very public espousal of his Christian faith appeals to voters who may generally gravitate toward Republicans, while his extensive social media presence likely draws younger and more progressive supporters. Podcast appearances with prominent liberal host Ezra Klein and popular conservative host Joe Rogan have boosted Talarico’s profile. Despite these high-profile appearances, the most recent poll, released in December, shows Crockett 8 points ahead of Talarico among likely voters in the Democratic primary.
Electability and appeal to Texas voters
Online, the contest between Crockett and Talarico has turned hostile for some of their respective supporters. Podcaster Matt Rogers, who doesn’t live in Texas, recently apologized after dismissing Crockett’s chances of winning because she was too “well-defined,” with Rogers saying he was instead “interested in this Talarico guy” despite not knowing anything about him. The incident has led to a larger online debate between some Talarico backers who claim he’s more electable in Texas and Crockett supporters who view the electability argument as being selectively applied to a Black woman candidate.
Talarico has so far focused on boosting his appeal to voters rather than attacking Crockett. Recent polling showed Crockett holding significantly more support among Black and older Democratic voters, while Talarico leads Crockett among white, Latino and younger Democrats. In a recent interview, Talarico responded to the need to reach out to Black voters.
“I’m the new kid on the block, and I’ve got to do the work to introduce myself to voters all over the state to earn their trust, earn their respect and earn their support,” he said.
Talarico will have a chance to make his case to Black voters and to Texans in general in a Jan. 24 head-to-head debate with Crockett. The two candidates will ultimately face off in March’s Democratic primary, which will select a candidate for November’s general election.