Crockett Refuses to Campaign for Texas Nominee Talarico
Crockett Refuses to Campaign for Texas Nominee Talarico
The News
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) says she will not campaign for James Talarico, the state representative who beat her in the March Democratic Senate primary, leaving the party's Texas nominee without one of its loudest national voices.
Asked by CNN anchor Laura Coates on Thursday night whether she would campaign with Talarico, Crockett answered: "I will be campaigning downballot."
The Washington Post, which first reported the exchange, called her a standout exception at a moment when Democrats who lost bruising primaries are lining up behind their nominees in the fight for the Senate.
Timeline
Crockett launches her Senate bid in an interview with Coates on CNN, saying she can appeal to some Trump voters.
Talarico defeats Crockett in the Texas Democratic Senate primary, per Ballotpedia's tally of the race.
The New York Post reports Crockett backs Talarico in a statement saying Democrats "must remain united," while declining to make plans to campaign for him.
Houston Public Media reports Crockett is a notable absence from the speaker roster at the Texas Democratic Party's state convention in Corpus Christi, and has so far declined to campaign for her former rival.
The Texas Tribune reports on polling showing black Texas voters sticking with Talarico over Republican Ken Paxton, and notes Crockett has cast doubt on whether black voters have unified behind the statewide ticket.
In the CNN interview, Crockett rules out campaigning alongside Talarico.
Reactions
Coates pressed Crockett on the decision during the interview, according to Mediaite, which covered the segment.
The Washington Post framed the refusal as a rare break in an otherwise unified post-primary Democratic field, writing that Crockett "has repeatedly declined to endorse" Talarico and "doubled down Thursday night."
On the right, the conservative site Louder with Crowder highlighted the snub as evidence of a Democratic rift in Texas.
The Frank found no public comment from Talarico's campaign in the source reporting on Thursday's interview.
What's Next
Talarico heads into the November general election without Crockett on the trail for him, though she says she will work for Democrats further down the ballot.
The open question for Texas Democrats is whether other national figures step in to fill the gap — and whether Crockett's absence shows up in black turnout, the bloc her primary campaign fought over most bitterly.
More
Crockett entered the primary as the race's biggest national celebrity, but the Texas Tribune's post-mortem found her campaign leaned on television and digital advertising rather than a large field operation, with less time and money than her rival.
Her Dallas-area House seat and her national profile keep her a factor in the party's 2026 politics regardless of the Senate race.
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