Photo: Getty Images
Rep. Jasmine Crockett confirmed that she conceded the Texas Senate Democratic primary to state Rep. James Talarico in a post shared on her X account Wednesday (March 4) morning.
"This morning I called James and congratulated him on becoming the Senate nominee. Texas is primed to turn blue and we must remain united because this is bigger than any one person. This is about the future of all 30 million Texans and getting America back on track. With the primary behind us, Democrats must rally around our nominees and win. I’m committed to doing my part and will continue working to elect democrats up and down the ballot," Crockett wrote.
Talarico was reported to have defeated Crockett in the primary Tuesday (March 3) night and will face the winner of a May runoff between longtime Republican Sen. John Cornyn and Ken Paxton, which could be decided by which candidate receives an endorsement from President Donald Trump. Texas was among three states, along with North Carolina and Arkansas, that began midterm elections with Congressional seats up for grabs on Tuesday.
Talarico proclaimed, "We're about to take back Texas" in response to his victory, acknowledging that Democrats haven't won a statewide election in the Lone Star State in more than 30 years. Crockett's campaign previously said that she planned to sue over voting issues in Dallas after she claimed that "people have been disenfranchised" Tuesday night prior to her concession announcement.
Voting was extended in Dallas and Williamson Counties after reports that voters were being turned away from the polls and directed to different voting precincts because of new primary rules. Crockett had built a national profile on throwing zingers at Republicans and focusing on Black voters in the larger Texas cities.
Talarico, a devout Catholic, held rallies across Texas, which included Republican stronghold areas.
“We are not just trying to win an election,” Talarico told supporters in Austin prior to the race officially being called. “ We are trying to fundamentally change our politics. And it’s working."