State lawmaker beats Jasmine Crockett in fiercely contested election marked by record turnout and confusion at polls

James Talarico won the Democratic nomination for a US Senate seat in Texas on Tuesday, capping a remarkable rise from state lawmaker and seminary student to the party’s standard-bearer in one of the key races of the 2026 midterm cycle.

With his blend of faith-based populism, bipartisan appeal and generational energy, Talarico defeated Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, a firebrand beloved by the party’s base but who struggled to dispel concerns that she could defeat a Republican in a state that has not elected a Democrat statewide in more than 30 years.

A jubilant Talarico told supporters in Austin before the race was called: “We are not just trying to win an election. We are trying to fundamentally change our politics. And it’s working.”

  • taiyang@lemmy.world
    24·
    17 hours ago

    I inherently distrust anyone religious, but it’s not really up to me and he seems like a very reasonable pick for Texas. Plus, y’all actually got a real primary! That’s rare!

    With the comments talking about Crockett taking the same mistakes as Harris, it reminded me of when Harris, a DA at the time, ran for Senate here in CA. We didn’t really get serious opposition in that primary, even though the next highest was the house member (?) representing Santa Ana. She… uh… dabbed during a debate. It was a desperate move in a race drowning in money and favoritism for Harris. Harris won the primary by like, 30+ points iirc.

    Now things don’t look like they can simply be bought as easily like that. People are paying attention and are rightfully pissed off at the DNC, AIPAC and the rest.

      • supernight52@lemmy.world
        221·
        16 hours ago

        Really? You can’t think of anyone that you should inherently distrust? I can! Cops, CEOs, hedge fund owners, stock brokers, self-help gurus, anyone trying to sell you something, insurance agents, bankers, billionaires, Nazis, religious zealots, politicians… I can think of at least a couple more groups that should be inherently distrusted. If your group spends its existence abusing others- I will discriminate against and distrust you inherently.