{"id":2583061,"date":"2026-03-23T20:01:02","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T00:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-faults-fcc-commissioner-brendan-carr-as-texas-race-tightens\/"},"modified":"2026-03-23T20:04:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T00:04:27","slug":"gop-faults-fcc-commissioner-brendan-carr-as-texas-race-tightens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gop-faults-fcc-commissioner-brendan-carr-as-texas-race-tightens\/","title":{"rendered":"GOP faults FCC commissioner Brendan Carr as Texas race tightens"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/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%2Fgop-faults-fcc-commissioner-brendan-carr-as-texas-race-tightens%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=2583061&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>The article reports growing Republican concerns that FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr\u2019s aggressive stance toward broadcasters may have backfired adn helped reshape Texas\u2019s U.S. Senate race. It traces how Carr\u2019s clashes with media culminated in a viral moment from a late-night Colbert interview with Democrat James Talarico. Although the interview was pulled from TV, it spread online, fueling donations and giving Talarico a surge in momentum.<\/p>\n<p>The piece describes a ripple effect: the Democratic primary outcome shifted, with Talarico defeating Jasmine Crockett, a result some Republicans say was helped by the Colbert moment. Polls soon showed Talarico narrowing or leading in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-backed-karrin-taylor-robson-exits-arizona-governor-race\/\" title=\"Trump-backed Karrin Taylor Robson exits Arizona governor race\">general-election matchups<\/a> against Republican nominees John Cornyn and Ken Paxton, according to RealClearPolitics and other surveys. Republicans worry the episode has complicated the GOP\u2019s path in Texas, while some argue Crockett might have won without the attention around Talarico.Officials and strategists offered mixed takes-some blaming the Colbert episode for elevating Talarico, others cautioning against media censorship as a political strategy. the article also notes broader implications for how regulatory pressure on media could influence elections and mentions that the FCC did not comment.  <\/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\">GOP concern grows as FFC commissioner Brendan Carr may have reshaped Texas Senate race<\/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_2541167\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/republicans\/\">Republicans<\/a> are increasingly pointing fingers at FCC Commissioner <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/technology\/4493568\/carr-fcc-broadcast-license-iran-war-media-midterms\/\">Brendan Carr<\/a> as an unlikely factor reshaping the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/texas\/\">Texas<\/a> Senate race, warning his aggressive posture toward broadcasters may have backfired and put a once-reliable <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/gop\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1577\">GOP seat <\/a>into play.<\/p>\n<p>What party operatives once saw as a favorable matchup, with many privately viewing Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/jasmine-crockett\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"9855\">Jasmine Crockett <\/a>(D-TX) as the easier general election Democratic opponent, has been upended by a chain reaction tied to Carr&rsquo;s clashes with media outlets. That sequence culminated in a viral moment that appears to have helped Rep. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/james-talarico\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"17710\">James Talarico<\/a> (D-TX) win the primary.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/premium\/4497003\/senate-filibuster-and-its-discontents\/\">The filibuster and its discontents in both parties<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/state\/4500676\/tom-steyer-declines-grade-gavin-newsom-california-governor-race\/\">California Democratic governor candidate declines to grade Newsom: &#8216;I don&#8217;t know&#8217;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/presidential\/4499394\/underestimating-jd-vance-2028-presidential-election\/\">Underestimating JD Vance<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Now, with <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/polls\/texas-us-senate-election-polls-2026.html\">new polling<\/a> showing Talarico narrowly leading both Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/john-cornyn\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"965\">John Cornyn<\/a> (R-TX) and Texas Attorney General <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/ken-paxton\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"4370\">Ken Paxton<\/a>, who are headed to a <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/republican-primary\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1924\">Republican runoff<\/a>, Republicans are voicing concern that the episode has complicated the party&rsquo;s path forward in a state they typically count as a safe hold.<\/p>\n<p>One Texas-based Republican strategist warned that Carr&rsquo;s approach risks backfiring beyond the party&rsquo;s base, particularly with independent voters wary of government overreach.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think there&rsquo;s a real deep risk,&rdquo; the strategist said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss party dynamics.<\/p>\n<p>At the center of the shift was a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/with-terror-on-the-prairie-gina-carano-takes-on-the-entertainment-establishment\/\" title=\"With \u2018Terror On The Prairie,\u2019 Gina Carano Takes On The Entertainment Establishment\">late-night interview<\/a> that never aired.<\/p>\n<p>Talarico <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4460051\/colbert-posts-james-talarico-interview-youtube-fcc-equal-time-rule\/\">taped an appearance with Stephen Colbert<\/a> during the Democratic primary, but the segment was pulled from <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >television amid concerns inside<\/a> the network about potential <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/federal-communications-commission\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"1637\">FCC scrutiny<\/a>. Instead, the interview was posted online, where it quickly went viral, drawing millions of views and generating more than $2.5 million in donations within 24 hours.<\/p>\n<p>The moment, now widely referred to as the &ldquo;Colbert bump,&rdquo; became a turning point in the race. For some Republicans, the effects were immediate and measurable.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s like a very clear red pen moment,&rdquo; a Republican strategist with experience in Senate and House races said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss the race candidly. &ldquo;You can see the shift right after that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/harris-momentum-stalls-cnn-talk-didnt-help-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Harris momentum stalls, CNN talk didn\u2019t help - Washington Examiner\">interview didn&#038;rsquo<\/a>;t air but went viral.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>That shift is reflected in the polling. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolling.com\/polls\/senate\/democratic-primary\/2026\/texas\">RealClearPolitics averages<\/a> show Talarico surging in the days following the interview, flipping from a deficit against Crockett in mid-February to a clear lead by the end of the month.<\/p>\n<p>The tightening contest is also showing up in general election data.<\/p>\n<p>Recent polling shows Talarico with <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/interactive\/polls\/texas-us-senate-election-polls-2026.html\">a narrow edge <\/a>over both potential Republican nominees. An Impact Research survey, conducted March 12&ndash;17, found Talarico leading Cornyn by 2 points, 43% to 41%, and edging Paxton by 1 point, 44% to 43%. A separate Public Policy Polling survey from early March showed similar margins, with Talarico ahead of Paxton by 2 points and Cornyn by 1.<\/p>\n<p>The numbers mark a striking shift from earlier expectations that <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/republicans\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"240\">Republicans<\/a> would enter the general election with a clear advantage.<\/p>\n<p>The same Texas-focused strategist said the controversy may have altered the outcome of the primary, arguing Crockett likely would have won absent the surge in attention around Talarico, who Republicans viewed as a stronger general election opponent.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think she would have won if we didn&rsquo;t do this to ourselves,&rdquo; the strategist said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;d be looking at a very different election in November.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The National Republican Senatorial Committee, for its part, is not embracing that argument.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Who would have thought Jasmine Crockett was the moderate in this primary?&rdquo; said NRSC Regional press secretary Samantha Cantrell. &ldquo;Thanks in part to Stephen Colbert, Texas Democrats now have the most radical candidate they have ever had in &lsquo;God is nonbinary,&rsquo; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/campaigns\/congressional\/4496377\/james-talarico-campaign-vegan-meat-texas\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4496377\">meat-hating<\/a> James Talarico.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Other Republicans, however, have pointed more directly to the sequence of events surrounding Carr and the Colbert interview as a contributing factor.<\/p>\n<p>GOP strategist Brad Todd suggested the moment may not have been accidental, floating the possibility that it ultimately worked to Talarico&rsquo;s advantage by elevating him over a weaker opponent.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Colbert used Carr as a prop to hoist Talarico at the expense of Jasmine Crockett,&rdquo; Todd<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/BradOnMessage\/status\/2024198894771396910?s=20\"> wrote on X.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Apart from potentially boosting Talarico, there are also concerns about the precedent Carr set. <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Trying to clamp down on a particular host or candidate could draw considerably more attention to that individual and end up amplifying their message,&rdquo; said Brandon Arnold, executive vice president of the National Taxpayers Union, in a statement to the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. &ldquo;The FCC should tread very carefully here going forward.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The FCC did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n<p>Gregg Nunziata, a longtime conservative legal strategist, framed the episode as a departure from traditional Republican principles on free speech and limited government.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He had a choice: to support the principles he once avowed &hellip; or to serve a powerful master and lead an assault on American liberties,&rdquo; <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/greggnunziata\/status\/2032946676889952484\">Nunziata said<\/a>. &ldquo;He chose the latter path.&rdquo;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Trump has <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4481526\/backlash-trump-maga-over-potential-cornyn-backing\/\" type=\"post\" id=\"4481526\">not yet weighed in <\/a>on the runoff between Cornyn and Paxton, leaving open questions about how the party will approach the race as it heads toward the general election.<\/p>\n<p>Some Republicans say the contest has become more competitive than initially expected, particularly as Democrats rally behind Talarico following his primary victory.<\/p>\n<p>How the party navigates the runoff, and whether the dynamics that reshaped the Democratic primary carry into the <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/2026-election\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"11675\">general election<\/a>, could determine whether a race once seen as safely Republican remains that way.<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/technology\/4493568\/carr-fcc-broadcast-license-iran-war-media-midterms\/\"><strong>FCC CHAIR&rsquo;S BROADCAST LICENSE WARNING SPARKS GOP CONCERN AHEAD OF MIDTERM ELECTIONS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>For some Republicans, the lesson is less about any one race and more about how the party approaches media battles moving forward.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Trying to censor or limit those moments can actually work against us,&rdquo; the national GOP strategist said. &ldquo;Using regulatory pressure on the media is not helpful.&rdquo;<\/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>GOP wary: FCC&#8217;s Carr reshaped TX race<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2657,"featured_media":2583062,"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\/AP26079605936631.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546,33651],"tags":[45194,76409,76410],"class_list":["post-2583061","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","category-the-western-journal","tag-brendan-carr","tag-fcc-commissioner","tag-texas-race"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26079605936631.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2583061","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\/2657"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2583061"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2583061\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2583065,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2583061\/revisions\/2583065"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2583062"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2583061"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2583061"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2583061"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}