Jasmine Crockett Leads Democratic Field in Texas

[comradebillyboy]

https://politicalwire.com/2025/12/12/jasmine-crockett-leads-democratic-field-for-senate/

A new Texas Southern University poll in Texas finds that 51% of likely Democratic primary voters favor Jasmine Crockett (D) for U.S. Senate while 43% prefer James Talarico (D) and 6% are undecided.

I like Crockett and don't know much about Talarico so I don't have a strong preference in the primary. If she gets the nomination I will be interested to see how her aggressive in your face style will play out in the campaign. I'd love to see her curb stomp Ken Paxton.

[ananda]

1. Talarico is a holy roller, a Presbyterian seminarian.

He's OK. I'd vote for him if I have to.

But I much prefer Crockett.

[Jack Valentino]

5. Talarico 'isn't black enough' !

As merely a Texas state legislator, he should withdraw from the US Senate Democratic primary,
and perhaps target one of the weakened-by-GQP-gerrymandering congressional districts....

(full disclosure--- I'm an elderly white male)

[ananda]

7. LOL

[Jack Valentino]

8. Hey--- Texas African-Americans deserve to have the chance to support an

African-American in a Texas statewide election, don't they ???


(so far as I know, they haven't had ONE EVER,
or at least not since post-civil war reconstruction....)

[ananda]

21. Colin Allred lost to Ted Cruz...

I just like Jasmine Crockett so much better
than Talarico.

[soldierant]

28. Colin Allred

more or less defacto endorsed Jasmine by dropping out if the race to seek a seat in the House.

I hope they both win this time;

[ananda]

31. Yes, they both have a lot of class.

I hope they both win too!

[summer_in_TX]

36. Talarico is a former public school teacher, was raised by a single mother, was one of the Texas

House Dems who broke Quorum to try to stop gerrymandered maps in the state.

I'm not sure how you got that he was a Holy Roller from the fact that he is a Presbyterian seminarian. He argued powerfully in the House against posting the Ten Commandments in Texas classrooms. While the other side prevailed, he effectively showed that Christians who are faithful don't agree that the Ten Commandments should be imposed on others. He believes firmly in freedom of religion.

To me his is the kind of public theology so brilliantly put forth by Martin Luther King. King inspired me as a 14 year-old with his theology even though I was raised in a non-Christian household. Talarico is able to reach people that Dems usually can't reach. His message is wonderfully articulate, rich vs poor is a major theme. Talarico is able to counter Christian Nationalism with knowledge and authority. Rev. William Barber is another public theologian.

[comradebillyboy]

41. Looks like Texans have two great candidates to

choose from. It's so nice to see a race where folks ask which is the better choice as opposed to who do I hate the least.

[Sweet Freedom]

2. I was stoked about Talarico because

we lack serious pushback to our Christian nationalism problem and he can show them his Jesus receipts, but I'll happily vote for either.

[Jack Valentino]

3. The Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Texas is OVER.

and I believe that this particular poll grossly overstates
the support for Talerico, whom I had never heard of
until lately

[pinkstarburst]

11. Are you from Texas?

[littlemissmartypants]

12. His profile says Michigan.

[pinkstarburst]

14. Well, that explains why he hasn't heard of him

Thank you.

[littlemissmartypants]

15. My pleasure, pinkstarburst. ❤️

[Skittles]

18. I'm gonna guess that is a big fat no

he's pretty well known where I live

[karynnj]

30. If you, someone interested in politics, never heard of him,

it might suggest that he is being hurt by lack of name recognition.

The primary is not over before it really even started. I am not from Texas, but I think primary debates between them might be exceptionally good as both have been amazing when speaking out.

[walkingman]

4. Whomever the Dem nominee gets my vote. I do think Talarico's Hispanic heritage and religious

Identity are positives in Texas.

[yowzayowzayowza]

6. Concur. Talarico is likely a better fit for the Texas electorate. n/t

[Jack Valentino]

9. except the majority of Texas white voters WON'T VOTE for ANY 'DEMOCRAT'!

The fantasy about getting Republicans to vote for a Democrat needs to END!

In TEXAS the key is getting non-participating DEMOCRATS to VOTE!

[yowzayowzayowza]

10. No "fantasy about getting Republicans to vote for a Democrat" was proffered. n/t

[pinkstarburst]

13. A candidate like Crockett

is as likely to boost republican turnout as much as you think it will help democratic turnout. She has made it very clear she is a loud, progressive democratic firebrand. She will not be getting any votes from independents.

I find it very strange that there seem to be people who have little understanding of Texas politics who keep commenting on this topic. Saying things like "Texas is a majority minority state so all those minorities are going to go for a Black woman!" Lol, not hardly. Texas is a Hispanic majority state with 40% Hispanic population, which is conservative and religious overall, in line with Talarico. He has a much better chance of scooping up some of those voters who might be swaying after Trump's anti-immigration policies. Crockett will still have to overcome sexism and racism, which as we saw from 2016 and 2024 cost us the presidential races.

[TBF]

17. I expect repubs to cross over in the primary and vote for her

like they did for Hillary. She'll get the nomination and then it's a landslide against her in the general. I've seen this movie too many times ...

[TBF]

16. With all due respect you really need to stop -

yours truly, white democratic voter in Texas who is part of the reality-based community

[Skittles]

19. it's more about getting the non-voters out there

repukes are mostly a lost fucking cause

[Emile]

20. Jasmine Crockett would best galvanize the Democratic base and mobilize non-voters.

She has the best shot of winning.

[Wiz Imp]

22. Talarico is great as well. It's sad that many here don't know about him

and sadder still that some here would trash him because he's a Presbyterian seminarian. He is definitely a "rising star" in the Democratic Party.

Some facts about him:
-Talarico filed HB54, also known as Javier Ambler's Law, and the legislature passed it. It prohibits state law enforcement agencies, except game wardens, from entering into contracts with reality TV shows that film them in the line of duty. This was in response to the role Live PD is alleged to have played in the killing of Javier Ambler by Williamson County, Texas police. Talarico had previously criticized Sheriff Robert Chody's handling of the incident, calling for his resignation.
-Talarico was the primary author of HB30, which provided a path for minors in the criminal justice system who have been adjudicated as adults or who are eligible under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to earn a high school diploma instead of pursuing a high school equivalency
-During the 88th legislative session, Talarico was the primary author of House Bill 25, which would create the Texas Wholesale Prescription Drug Importation Program and allow Texas to import lower-cost Canadian medications that are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
-Talarico was an outspoken critic of legislation that would have required the display of the Ten Commandments in all elementary and secondary classrooms, on the constitutional grounds of separation of church and state. He called the measure "un-American" and "un-Christian".
-In 2025, Talarico continued to be a major voice in opposition to placing the Ten Commandments in Texas public schools. The specific legislation, SB 10, required every classroom to visibly display a poster containing the Ten Commandments, sized at least 16 by 20 inches. When the bill was first brought to the floor of the Texas House, Talarico called a point of order that delayed its passage. The bill ultimately passed the legislature, but videos of his remarks against it went viral and led to an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience.
-Talarico supports healthcare reform. He supports making a buy-in Medicare or public health insurance option program available to every American.
-Talarico is an outspoken critic of Christian nationalism, calling it "a cancer on our religion", and has often said "there's nothing Christian about Christian nationalism". He has cited his faith and the teachings of Jesus, especially the commandment to love one's God and neighbor, as the reason for launching his political career. He has called politics "another word for how we treat our neighbors". Talarico has called Christian nationalism "the worship of power—social power, economic power, political power, in the name of Christ" and has accused Christian nationalists of turning Jesus "into a gun-toting, gay-bashing, science-denying, money-loving, fear-mongering fascist", arguing that it is "incumbent on all Christians to confront it and denounce it" in a 2023 guest sermon that has more than 1 million views on YouTube.

[SSJVegeta]

23. Talarico so far has a waybhigher ceiling than Crockett

Polls also have shown that the more people know about Talarico, the better he does.

This means that spending by both candidates is about to get heavy in the new year

[thought crime]

43. A lively Primary Race will increase familiarity with both candidates.

[surfered]

24. My post yesterday

I have tremendous respect for Jasmine Crockett. I would vote for her because she's attractive, smart, and courageous, but getting elected in Texas will be an uphill climb for her. James Talarico is also very smart and has a better chance of defeating Cornyn and even a better chance of beating Paxton if he defeats Cornyn in the primary.

My reasoning is based solely upon the margins in previous Texas races:

Presidential Elections:

2008 McCain 55% Obama 44% white male vs black male
2012 Romney 57% Obama 41% white male vs black male
2016 Trump 52% Hillary 43% white male vs white female
2020 Trump 52% Biden 46% White male vs white male
2024 Trump 56% Harris 42% White male vs black female

Senate Elections:

2018 Cruz 52% O'Rourke 48% White male vs white male
2020 Cornyn 54% Hegar 44% White male vs white female
2024 Cruz 53% Allred 45% White male vs black male. Note: Allred was a beloved NFL player, turned Civil Rights Lawyer and Cruz went to Cancun when the state froze.

Republicans defeat Democrats every time. Women and women of color fare worse than white males.

Why? Because Texas......I don't like it, but those are the results.

[TBF]

25. 2014 Davis v. Abbott for governor -

we adored her! And this is how it finished ...

Abbott 59.3
Davis 38.9

[surfered]

26. Yep! Doesn't look much like a purple state.

[TBF]

27. We moved here 20+ years ago -

first you find your church. Then you find your people within the church. The democrats are scattered around but you eventually find them. And then they listen, smile, and say things like "baby steps". I have learned over the years to pace my expectations.

[surfered]

33. Sad but true! Our little beach town used to be 70% Democratic in the 70s now it's 30%

[fujiyamasan]

38. People forget a democrat has not won a statewide race in Texas since 1994!

My personal concern is Crocket would fare little better than Wendy Davis. There was a lot of democratic excitement over her campaign but in the end she didn’t even break 40%. Now I think demographics have changed over the past ten years, enough where the right democrat can be competitive in Texas, but it will take a weak and disliked republican (like Cruz), and an inspiring democratic candidate that can fight to keep losses at a minimum among those groups that typically vote republican.

Democrats need to particularly focus on winning back the border districts, where support has badly eroded since Beto’s campaign. I don’t think excitement in urban areas will be enough, which is definitely Crocket’s major strength I appreciate her quick wit and targeted attacks. But her race and gender will prove to be a challenge in a (still) conservative state

[3Hotdogs]

29. What you're sayin' is, as far as Jasmine winning,

the math ain't mathin'.

[surfered]

34. Sadly, yes.

[UTUSN]

32. K&R

[MichMan]

35. Hoping she wins the primary

[TBF]

39. That's the issue - the republicans will cross over & guarantee that

because she's easier to beat in the general (from their point of view). Those of us who live here groaned when she declared. Not because we don't like her, but because we remember Clinton, Davis, etc. This is what they do.

[pinkstarburst]

40. Yup, this is exactly what is happening

Repubs will guarantee she is the candidate who makes it through. They know there is no way she gets elected in the general. There are plenty of non-Texans who are excited about her running, but most Texans I know were really excited about Talarico and now are disappointed because it feels like any chance at that senate seat is all over.

[MichMan]

42. Not sure that will happen as Cornyn is being challenged by Paxton in the Republican primary.

That might limit crossovers

[TBF]

44. Paxton's pretty far ahead -

but Cornyn is the incumbent so, yes, you do have a point.

[Captain Stern]

37. Historically, Crocketts haven't fared well in Texas. At least from what I remember. n/t