TX-SEN: Jasmine Crockett, James Talarico show different fighting styles in first debate of Senate Democratic primary

[RandySF]

U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico both pitched themselves as fighters Saturday during their first, and perhaps only, debate in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, with Crockett framing herself as a “street fighter” and Talarico leaning into his record battling GOP proposals in the Texas House.

The two Democrats debated for an hour at the Texas AFL-CIO’s political convention in Georgetown ahead of the March 3 election. Early voting begins Feb. 17, just over three weeks out from Saturday.

Crockett, D-Dallas, and Talarico, D-Austin, are competing for their party’s nomination to take on the eventual Republican nominee in November, when Democrats hope that backlash to the Trump administration — and a GOP nominee damaged from a bruising primary battle — will help lift the party to its first statewide victory in over three decades. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, the Republican incumbent, is fighting to defend his seat in a bitter primary against Attorney General Ken Paxton and U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Houston.

Crockett has pitched her candidacy, defined by her reputation as a political brawler, as the one best positioned to expand the electorate, with a focus on juicing Democratic turnout and motivating low-propensity voters to show up at the polls. Talarico, meanwhile, has emphasized his Christian faith and a top-versus-bottom brand of economic populism, betting those tenets can win over disaffected Republican and independent voters while also engaging the Democratic base.


https://www.texastribune.org/2026/01/24/jasmine-crockett-james-talarico-debate-texas-senate-democratic-primary-2026/

[ananda]

1. At this point I don't care.

I just want a Democrat to win.

[mr715]

2. If we win this one, we're going to have a very good election night.

I like both of them. But many Democratic hearts have been broken in Texas

[Wiz Imp]

3. They're both great

I hope they don't attack each other during the primary race (it sounds like they refrained from doing so during the debate). If the election were held today, neither would win, but who knows how much can change between now and November.