Nationwide — Dallas Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett lost the Texas Democratic primary for U.S. Senate to Austin state Rep. James Talarico, who took 53% of the vote to her 45%. Despite leading early polls, Crockett struggled with fundraising and a competitive campaign.
Results were slow in Dallas County, where Crockett is based, after hundreds of voters arrived late, prompting a judge to extend polling hours, as reported by Texas Public Radio. Williamson County also reported delays. Ahmad R. Hassan, the third candidate, took just 1.3% of the vote.
Talarico, 36, is an eighth-generation Texan and a former San Antonio teacher. He first won a Texas House seat in 2018 and gained national attention during a 2025 Democratic walkout over redistricting. He launched his Senate campaign shortly after that legislative session ended.
Crockett had held a lead in early polling before officially entering the race in December, but Talarico outperformed her in fundraising, even surpassing incumbent Republican Sen. John Cornyn. A January debate showed both candidates shared similar positions on major issues like ICE reforms and taxing the wealthy.
The race became more contentious in February when former congressman Colin Allred accused Talarico of a derogatory remark. A pro-Talarico super PAC also ran attack ads against Crockett, which she criticized as hypocritical. Still, Talarico’s fundraising edge and ad strategy carried him to victory.
With Talarico now the Democratic nominee, he has additional weeks to campaign before Republicans John Cornyn and Ken Paxton face a May runoff. The general election is expected to be a closely watched contest for the Texas Senate seat.