Culture Editor
On Mar. 3, Texas held its primary elections for the U.S. Senate. While the state initially seemed unachievable for Democrats, if a few decisions go in their favor, Texas could turn at least partially blue, carrying ramifications for the 2028 presidential election. Nearly 4.5 million Texans voted in the primaries, a statewide record, with a high Democratic turnout, further rallying the state’s Democrats.
On the Republican side, incumbent Senator John Cornyn’s position looks precarious. The former Texas Attorney General faces strong opposition from current Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The fight is an interesting juxtaposition between Cornyn, a cool-headed traditional conservative who has held office since the Bush administration, and Paxton, who is farther to the right and often attracts controversy, with the Texas State House impeaching him for bribery and abuse of power. Despite the candidates’ differences, they maintain fervent supporters from factions of the Grand Old Party (GOP). Also in the Republican primary was Wesley Hunt, the Congressional Representative for Texas’s 38th district. Though not as popular as Cornyn or Paxton, Hunt collected enough of the vote, around 13%, to prevent either Cornyn, who received 42.5 %, or Paxton, who received 40.8%, from achieving 50% of the vote, triggering a run-off between them set for May 26. The competition between the two remains fierce. The results could have a large effect on the general election, with Cornyn polling better against the Democratic candidate than Paxton.
On the Democratic side, District 30 Representative Jasmine Crockett battled with State Representative James Talarico for the nomination. The competition between the two candidates was intense but also grounded, with Talarico even welcoming Crockett into the race as a colleague and friend. Many observers thought Talarico’s campaign was over after Crockett declared her candidacy, as she is more experienced at the national level and very popular in her district and among Democrats. The battle presented another interesting comparison between Crockett, who is more establishment as a two-term representative who accepted corporate donations, and Talarico, who is more populist, notably taking no corporate Political Action Committee (PAC) money and raising millions of dollars from small individual donations. Talarico clinched the victory, with around 52% of the vote to Crockett’s 46%. There is controversy over the results, with Crockett suing Texas after many Dallas voters were turned away from polling stations after the switch from county-wide ballot casting to assigned precincts. The move created confusion and may have disenfranchised voters. The results of litigation could flip the primary’s outcome, but until then, Talarico is the victor.
Excitingly for Democrats, a poll from Public Policy Polling shows Talarico winning against both GOP candidates by slim margins. Though there is still uncertainty about who will be in the general election, it is sure to be competitive.
(Sources: AP, Community Impact, NYT, Public Policy Polling, Texas Tribune)