Texas Democrats taste victory,
then turn on each other
Texas Democrats rejoiced Saturday after they flipped a state Senate seat
in a district that Donald Trump carried in 2024 by 17 percentage points,
hailing it as a burst of momentum for the midterms in the historically red state.
But they received a stark reminder of their own divides days later
when former Democratic congressman #Colin #Allred claimed that #James #Talarico,
a state representative running in the competitive Democratic primary for U.S. Senate,
had referred to him as
a “mediocre Black man.”
Then, Allred endorsed Talarico’s rival, U.S. Rep. #Jasmine #Crockett,
two weeks before early voting for the 👉March 3 primary is set to begin.
Allred’s intervention exacerbated racial tensions that were already brewing between Crockett and Talarico
— and raised new concerns inside the party that the infighting could make it harder for Democrats to eventually unify
for a long-awaited opportunity to turn Texas blue.
Talarico, who is White, pushed back on Allred’s claim.
Crockett, who like Allred is Black, praised his comments.
“Primaries are going to be raucous and contentious,” Texas Democratic Party Chairman Kendall Scudder told reporters Tuesday.
“They’re only going to get more so … as Texas gets more and more in play.”
He added that he hopes Democrats
“all treat each other with respect”
and understand the importance of moving
forward as a “team” after the primary.
https://www..com/politics/2026/02/03/allred-talarico-crockett-senate-democrats-race/