Jasmine Crockett Declines to Campaign with Senate Candidate James Talarico, Shifts Focus to Down-Ballot Races in Texas

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) told CNN’s Laura Coates that she will not join former primary opponent James Talarico on the Senate campaign trail. Instead, she said she will “be campaigning down ballot,” directing her efforts toward other Democratic candidates across the state.

Washington ExaminerThe HillNewsweek

Crockett entered the Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton after a last-minute decision to run. She lost the primary to Talarico by roughly six points, with the final tally at 52 % for Talarico and 46.2 % for Crockett—about a 144,500-vote difference out of more than two million votes cast. The primary defeat ended Crockett’s House term in January 2027.

Washington Examiner

• Primary margin: Talarico 52 % vs. Crockett 46.2 % (?6-point gap).

Newsweek

• Black-voter poll: A Texas State University poll found 79 % of likely Black voters intended to support Talarico, while 12 % favored Paxton. Only 7 % said Crockett’s primary loss would discourage them from voting in November.

Washington Examiner

• Recent Texas Public Opinion Research (TPOR) poll (surveyed Aug. 21-24, 2026): Talarico leads Paxton by 6 points, 48 % to 42 %; 7 % undecided, 1 % for Libertarian Ted Brown. The poll’s margin of error is ±3.3 percentage points.

Newsweek

Crockett emphasized the need to “amplify” candidates she believes are “overshadowed” by the high-profile Senate race, citing the 2018 Beto O’Rourke campaign as an example of a top-ticket effort that fell short despite massive fundraising and statewide travel. She expressed doubt that Black voters were “particularly excited” about Talarico, though she expects them to vote Democratic regardless.

Newsweek

Earlier, on July 20, he addressed supporters at a Houston town hall, urging them to keep Crockett’s name out of intra-party attacks.

Newsweek

Crockett’s leadership PAC, FIRE (Fuel Individual Rights Everywhere), backed five Texas candidates who subsequently won their primary runoffs, including former Rep. Colin Allred’s victory over Rep. Julie Johnson for a Dallas-area House seat.

The Hill

Crockett’s shift to down-ballot campaigning reflects a strategic calculation that a single Senate candidate cannot carry the entire ticket in a state where Republicans have dominated statewide offices since 1994. By leveraging her PAC and personal brand, Crockett aims to boost Democratic prospects in House, state legislative, and local races, potentially increasing overall voter turnout and narrowing margins in a pivotal battleground.

Washington Examiner

• “I will be campaigning down ballot,” — Rep. Jasmine Crockett

The Hill

• “Because when we’re looking at a state like Texas, we’ve tried this, where we’ve got one amazing candidate that’s running at the top of the ticket,” — Rep. Jasmine Crockett

The Hill

• “We’ve seen the turnout that you can produce. Talarico might very well need that magnetism. Will you campaign with him?” — CNN’s Laura Coates

The Hill

The November 2026 Senate election will determine whether Democrats can secure their first statewide victory in Texas in decades. Both campaigns continue to mobilize voters across demographic groups, with the Democratic Party monitoring turnout among Black, Latino, younger, college-educated, and female voters as indicated by recent polling.

Washington Examiner