{"id":2576298,"date":"2026-03-05T05:27:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-05T10:27:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-sober-after-talarico-nomination-in-red-texas\/"},"modified":"2026-03-05T05:29:08","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T10:29:08","slug":"democrats-sober-after-talarico-nomination-in-red-texas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrats-sober-after-talarico-nomination-in-red-texas\/","title":{"rendered":"Democrats sober after Talarico nomination in red Texas"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdemocrats-sober-after-talarico-nomination-in-red-texas%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2576298&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Texas Democrat James Talarico, who won the party\u2019s primary for U.S. Senate by defeating Jasmine Crockett, now faces a tougher general-election challenge in a state that has voted red in statewide races for decades. Wiht about 98% of the vote counted, he lead Crockett 52.5% to 46.2%. Democrats see an opening after beto O\u2019Rourke came close against Ted Cruz in 2018, but the state remains heavily Republican, and President Trump carried Texas by 14 points in 2024. Talarico\u2019s campaign blends a Christian-infused message aimed at cross-over voters with progressive positions on issues like the border, abortion, and gender identity, which Republicans argue could alienate right-leaning electors. A key dynamic will be which Republican advances from the May 26 runoff between John Cornyn and Ken Paxton; Cornyn is viewed as the safer statewide bet, while Paxton carries scandal-related baggage that could help Democrats. Former President Trump has indicated he will endorse a Texas runoff candidate \u201csoon\u201d and urged the other to drop out, hoping to shape the race. talarico\u2019s fundraising ability and viral moments on topics such as the Ten Commandments in classrooms and gun policies will be crucial as he attempts to mobilize infrequent voters and young voters in a costly statewide contest.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Democrats cautious after Talarico nomination in red Texas: &lsquo;Everything has to go right&rsquo;<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2522725\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>AUSTIN, TX &mdash;<\/strong> State Rep.<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/james-talarico\/\">&nbsp;James Talarico<\/a> is facing a new and more difficult test after he won a Democratic primary for Sen. John Cornyn&rsquo;s (R-TX) Senate seat in <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/texas\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"253\">Texas<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Talarico was widely viewed as the stronger candidate for <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/democrats\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"249\">Democrats<\/a>, beating firebrand Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jasmine-crockett\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"9855\">Jasmine Crockett<\/a> by 6 points on Tuesday night. But he will confront the same political dynamic that has locked Democrats out of statewide office for the last three decades, running as a progressive in a state that President Donald Trump carried by 14 points in 2024.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4481281\/steve-daines-drops-reelection-bid-two-terms-senate\/\">Steve Daines announces shock retirement minutes before Senate filing deadline<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4480750\/gop-trump-cornyn-president-teases-decision\/\">GOP begs Trump to endorse Cornyn as <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >president teases decision &#038;lsquo<\/a>;soon&rsquo;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4480545\/gop-rushes-define-talarico-cornyn-paxton-overtime-trump\/\">GOP rushes to define Talarico as Cornyn-Paxton race goes into overtime: &lsquo;Trump-hating radical&rsquo;<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>&ldquo;This is an uphill battle, because Texas at the statewide level has been solidly red for decades, so for James Talarico to run a winning campaign, even in what is shaping up to be a negative cycle for Republicans, everything has to go right,&rdquo; Democratic strategist Jon Reneish told the <em>Washington Examiner.&nbsp;<\/em><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He has to persuade fence-sitters. He also has to run both a traditional and a non-traditional campaign, in that he has to bring in infrequent voters and subprime voters to the polls,&rdquo; Reneish continued. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s got to inspire young voters, many of whom stayed home in the last presidential cycle in 2024, so he&rsquo;s got to hit those college towns.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Democrats see an opening for Talarico after former Democratic Texas Senate nominee Beto O&rsquo;Rourke came within 2.6 percentage points of incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) in 2018, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/does-james-talarico-have-what-it-takes-to-flip-the-texas-senate-seat\/\" title=\"Does ... have what it takes to flip the ... Senate seat?\u00a0\">blue wave election year<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Trump nonetheless garnered 1.5 million more votes than Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024, leaving Republicans to relish the prospect of Democrats pouring resources into Texas.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I hope that Democrats spend tens of millions of dollars in the Texas Senate race,&rdquo; Republican strategist Brian Seitchik told the <em>Washington Examiner.<\/em> &ldquo;It feels like fool&rsquo;s gold to me, so the more they spend on that race, the less resources they will have in other competitive races around the country. &ldquo;<\/p>\n<p>Talarico is expected to benefit from a motivated base of Democratic voters after Tuesday&rsquo;s primary, which saw the highest turnout in decades, and he is highlighting that fact early in his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/book-obama-enamored-with-beto-orourke-skeptical-of-joe-biden-in-2020-democratic-primary\/\" title=\"Book: Obama \u2018Enamored\u2019 with ... O\u2019Rourke, Skeptical of Joe Biden in 2020 ...\">general election campaign<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>With <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/projects\/elections-2026\/texas-primary-us-senate\/\">98% of the vote counted<\/a>, Talarico received 52.5% of the primary vote, compared to Crockett&rsquo;s 46.2%, as of 4 p.m. Wednesday.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The number of Texans who have never voted before, but showed up in this election, is unprecedented,&rdquo; Talarico <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4479628\/james-talarico-calls-vote-texas-voting-hours-dispute\/\">said at his primary election party<\/a> Tuesday night. &ldquo;The number of independents and Republicans who voted in this democratic primary is unprecedented. This is proof that there is something happening in Texas tonight. Tonight, the people of our state gave this country a little bit of hope, and a little bit of hope is a dangerous thing.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Still, Talarico, a Presbyterian pastor-in-training, will face scrutiny for his progressive views and months of campaign ads painting him as a radical. He has attempted to reach cross-over voters with a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/christian\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"17741\">Christian-infused message <\/a>that emphasizes civility and coalition-building. But he has simultaneously made statements on the border, abortion, and gender identity that Republicans believe will alienate him with a right-leaning voting electorate.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I mean, Texas is a Republican state,&rdquo; George Washington University Legislative Affairs Program Director Casey Burgat told the Washington Examiner. &ldquo;Does that mean those conditions equate to a high probability of winning? I think that&rsquo;s what we don&rsquo;t know yet.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The challenges are baked in,&rdquo; Reneish continued. &ldquo;No Democrat has won statewide in Texas in decades, so one person came close eight years ago, and that was Beto O&rsquo;Rourke against Ted Cruz, who is a hell of a lot less popular and more unlikable than John Cornyn is.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>To some extent, Talarico&rsquo;s fate will be determined by which Republican advances in a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4479256\/texas-gop-senate-primary-cornyn-paxton-hunt\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4479256\">May 26 runoff <\/a>between Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton.&nbsp;Cornyn is viewed as the safer bet given his track record of winning statewide across four terms in the Senate. Paxton, for his part, argues that he will be able to mobilize Republicans in a midterm year, but would bring to the general election a series of scandals, including corruption charges and allegations of infidelity, that could make winning easier for Democrats.<\/p>\n<p>Trump, who stayed out of the Republican primary on Tuesday, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4480536\/trump-teases-texas-senate-endorsement-reports-john-cornyn\/\">announced Wednesday<\/a> that he will endorse a candidate in the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/texas\/\">Texas<\/a> Senate runoff &ldquo;soon&rdquo; and preemtively urged the other candidate to &ldquo;drop out.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>In his announcement, the president added that the next race has to be &ldquo;perfect&rdquo; to beat Talarico come November.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/4479933\/dan-crenshaw-loses-texas-primary-to-conservative-challenger\/\">MAGA TAKES VICTORY LAP AFTER DAN CRENSHAW LOSES PRIMARY TO CONSERVATIVE CHALLENGER <\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Part of Talarico&rsquo;s appeal is his fundraising ability, a skill that will be needed in a large and expensive state. He&rsquo;s also <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/magazine\/2023\/06\/16\/james-talarico-texas-democrats-00101231\">gone viral<\/a> for opposing Republican state lawmakers moving to add the Ten Commandments to public classrooms, and at another point for criticizing those lawmakers for not <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/democrat-james-talarico-leans-into-faith-in-senate-bid-to-flip-texas\/\" title=\"Democrat ... leans into faith in Senate bid to flip ...\">adopting stricter gun laws<\/a> in the face of mass shootings.<\/p>\n<p>His emphasis on his Christian background has drawn comparisons to Sen. Raphael Warnock&rsquo;s (D-GA), a Baptist pastor who won in purple Georgia in 2021, though Republicans also believe his comments on religion could be a liability for him. Talarico has previously stated that &ldquo;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/jamestalarico\/status\/1449100589380538377?s=20\">God is nonbinary<\/a>&rdquo; and suggested that the Bible&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.texastribune.org\/2025\/09\/16\/james-talarico-texas-senate-democrat-religion-christianity-viral\/\">sanctions<\/a>&nbsp;abortion.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Democrats cautious as Talarico wins red Texas primary<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4196,"featured_media":2576299,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_7226-e1772677304338.jpeg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651,538],"tags":[3685,9134,68501,3694],"class_list":["post-2576298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","category-washington-examiner","tag-democrats","tag-nomination","tag-talarico","tag-texas"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/IMG_7226-e1772677304338.jpeg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2576298","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4196"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2576298"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2576298\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2576302,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2576298\/revisions\/2576302"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2576299"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2576298"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2576298"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2576298"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}