State Representative James Talarico defeated Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett in a costly and highly competitive Democratic primary for the Texas Senate, renewing hopes within the party of a potential breakthrough victory in November, AP reported.
Following her defeat, she called on the party to unify behind Talarico, who clinched the nomination overnight. In a statement, Crockett said, “Texas is primed to turn blue, and we must remain united because this is bigger than any one person.” She added, “This is about the future of all 30 million Texans and getting America back on track.”
Crockett’s campaign said it intends to file a lawsuit over alleged voting irregularities in Dallas. Speaking briefly on Tuesday night, she cautioned that “people have been disenfranchised.”
“We are about to take back Texas:” Talarico
No Democrat has been able to secure a statewide victory in heavily Republican Texas for over three decades. Still, after winning, Talarico, in a statement, said, “We’re about to take back Texas.” After Talarico took a commanding lead, the 36-year-old, former middle-school teacher told his supporters, “Tonight, the people of our state gave this country a little bit of hope,” and added, “A little bit of hope is a dangerous thing.”
According to a Fortune report, Texas, North Carolina, and Arkansas, on Tuesday (local time), kicked off the midterm elections with control of Congress at stake. The midterm elections came amid the backdrop of the US-Israeli war with Iran.
Republicans brace for ugly fight in Texas
Talarico will now face the winner of the Republican runoff, which is set to take place in May, either Sen. John Cornyn or state Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The Republican battle in Texas is just beginning, an AP report shows. Four-time Senator John Cornyn and his allies have spent approximately $70 million to survive in the first round of the party’s nomination fight on Tuesday. Cornyn was slightly ahead of Ken Paxton, the state attorney general, with more votes still being counted on Wednesday.
As both have advanced to a May 26 runoff, many Republicans fear that the election could be uglier and more expensive than the first contest. However, it remains unclear whether any sort of attacks will be able to stop Paxton, who has long been shadowed by allegations of corruption and infidelity.
Republicans are also uneasy about the runoff, as the 83-day race unfolds amid growing recognition with both parties that Democrats probably have a rare opportunity to capture a US Senate seat in Texas this year, a victory they haven’t had in almost four decades.
The Texas race comes as President Donald Trump works to preserve Republican control of Congress during the final two years of his White House term. While the party appears more secure in holding the House, the Senate outlook is less certain. A tight contest in Texas could reshape the electoral map, or at a minimum force Republicans to divert funds and manpower from battlegrounds such as North Carolina, Maine, Ohio, and Alaska.
