Jasmine Crockett’s proxy win over Talarico in House race shines spotlight on unresolved, bitter Texas rivalry
TheGrio...
Talarico and Crockett have yet to publicly resolve their political differences stemming from the Texas Senate primary, despite Talarico’s efforts to win over Crockett’s base of Black supporters.
The U.S. Senate contest between U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett and State Rep. James Talarico may be over, but another Texas primary that saw the two former rivals on opposing sides yet again — only this time it was Crockett who came out on top.
On Tuesday, Colin Allred defeated U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson, who, ironically, ousted him from Congress two years ago. Allred will advance to the general election and likely be re-elected to represent Texas’s 32nd Congressional District. Allred was endorsed by Crockett, while Johnson was endorsed by Talarico.
Crockett, through her political fundraising arm, FIRE PAC, celebrated the wins of her endorsed candidates.
“This moment demands grit, clarity, and leaders who are Texas tough. That’s what Texans chose on Tuesday night as we voted to send Rep. Colin Allred and Rep. Christian Menefee back to Congress. I’m proud to have served with them both and know their character. I know they will fight to end wars forever, deliver healthcare, and lower prices,” said the popular lawmaker, who will leave Congress on Jan. 3, 2027, as a result of losing her bid for Senate to Talarico in March, and thereby declining her chance to seek re-election in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Crockett’s proxy victory over Talarico brings the spotlight back on their political rivalry, which turned nasty early into their U.S. Senate primary contest, after Talarico, who is white, was accused of—and vehemently denied—calling Allred a “mediocre Black man.”
Allred was originally seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate against Talarico before dropping out when Crockett announced that she, too, would enter the race.
Crockett quickly seized on the controversy, previously telling theGrio, “I think that it is a real fear that a lot of, not just Black people, but minorities have about how they may get talked about behind closed doors.”
Talarico and Crockett have yet to publicly resolve their political differences from the primary, despite Talarico working to win over Crockett’s base of Black supporters.
Democratic strategist and former executive director of the Texas Democratic Party, Jamarr Brown, notes that despite the optics of another proxy battle between Crockett and Talarico, Tuesday’s U.S. House race between Allred and Johnson isn’t what it appeared to be.
“Some of the things that happened between Representative Talarico and Congressman Allred, I think, showed some of the divisions, but I don’t think this race was one of the key deciding pieces of that division,” Brown tells theGrio.
The Texas political insider explained, “Congressman Allred and Congresswoman Crockett worked together in the House. They were both colleagues in the Dallas North Texas delegation before, and so they worked on many issues together.” He said similarly, “Congresswoman Johnson, who was in the state House before, worked with Talarico…and so they have a relationship that’s long-standing.”
Brown added, “It’s a lot of standing political relationships that just came to the head in a race that actually was forced by the mid-decade redistricting.”
Political rivalry aside, Texas Democrats are hoping that Talarico, a young theologian who has won over a broad coalition of supporters, including younger Texans, can win the U.S. Senate general election against the controversial, Trump-backed Republican nominee Ken Paxton. If victorious, Talarico would be the first Democrat to win a statewide election in Texas in more than 30 years.
Brown says Talarico can’t pull off such a historic win without Black voters in a state like Texas, which has the largest population of African Americans of any other state. Crockett, who remains popular among Black Texans, could help him over the finish line. However, unlike in the House race with Allred, Crockett has not yet endorsed Talarico.
“I think it’s important for Representative Talarico to demonstrate leadership as a Democratic nominee, and seek her endorsement, seek her support, and seek the support of members of the party, members of the electorate that voted for Congresswoman Crockett,” Brown tells theGrio.
The Democratic strategist says Black voters need to “know that they have a home…and they have a candidate that is going to listen to them.”
Since winning the nomination, Talarico has sought to make inroads with Black voters in Texas. He’s campaigned with former President Barack Obama, delivered the commencement address at a Texas HBCU, and unveiled a plan with pronouncements to tackle the Black maternal mortality crisis.
“There’s still work to do to close the gap, because diverse communities in Texas need to feel that he’s going to go in there and actually fight and use every tool possible to ensure that people are protected, people are safe, and people can thrive,” says Brown. He continued, “Whether that is working on affordability, or working on health care, or working against ICE detentions.”
He added, “I do believe there will be some people who would move in his direction, but I think that comes with political courting, I think that comes with engagement.”