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.”

      • Hanrahan@slrpnk.netEnglish
        51·
        9 hours ago

        no, 1/2 are bad the other 1/2 are deluded and many both, all believing in “teapots”. What sort of critical thinking can someone that easily deluded bring to the world in these troubled times ?

        They might be “decent” (benefit of the doubt) despite being religious but that’s only one criteria needed in a representative.

      • duncan_bayne@lemmy.worldEnglish
        14·
        10 hours ago

        Just like they probably think every gun owner is bad, and every SUV / pickup owner, and every business owner, and every landlord, and pretty soon you’ve alienates all your potential allies and the Republicans win again :(

        • pucker4676@lemmy.ml
          2·
          9 hours ago

          Yeah, the Republicans win because the left is alienating the right winger liberals, right?

          • duncan_bayne@lemmy.worldEnglish
            1·
            6 hours ago

            No, but in part because many on the left demonize entire demographics (e.g. Christians) and drive them into the hands of the fear-mongering Republicans.