By The American Tribune | Created at 2026-09-02 10:32:46 | Updated at 2026-09-02 11:18:48
1 hour ago
Rep. Jasmine Crockett said excitement is lacking among Black voters in Texas as Democrats prepare for a closely watched Senate election. The Dallas congresswoman, who lost the Democratic Senate primary to state Rep. James Talarico, said she intends to concentrate on candidates running in the state’s largest counties. Her remarks exposed lingering tensions from the primary while outlining a voter-turnout strategy that starts below the top of the ticket.
Crockett made the comments during a special edition of the “Front Page” podcast hosted by Mimi Brown. The interview covered Crockett’s political future, her relationship with Talarico and complaints about the treatment she and her supporters received during the primary. Talarico is now running against Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in the November general election.
Talarico defeated Crockett in the March 3rd Democratic primary after a campaign in which Black voters overwhelmingly favored Crockett. She endorsed Talarico and the rest of the Democratic ticket the morning after the election, but disputes over online attacks and the party’s treatment of Black voters continued after the primary. Crockett told Brown she had deliberately reduced her television appearances because she did not want to keep discussing the race.
During the podcast interview, Crockett rejected claims that she was quietly encouraging Black voters to withhold support from Talarico. She described those accusations as “so far from the truth” and said the primary had been over for five months. Crockett also argued that candidates unfamiliar with Black communities often fail to appreciate their distrust of politicians and political institutions.
The exchange shifted to demands that Crockett take a larger role in campaigning for the Democratic nominee. She recalled hearing from voters who supported Talarico but feared her presence could energize Republican voters. “If y’all are afraid that I’m going to now jazz MAGA up and cause a problem for us, then why would you now want me out there?” Crockett asked. “It’s like talking out of both sides of your mouth.”
Crockett said she believes her most useful role is helping Democratic candidates further down the ballot. “In my mind, the best way that I can help the people of Texas is if I go in and I help out on these down-ballot races, because typically people rely on the top of the ticket to drag people in,” she said. “That’s the marquee race. That’s how you get people to come out.”
Watch Crockett explain the lack of enthusiasm for Talarico here:
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https://x.com/JasonJournoDC/status/2090885856995291323
“I personally don’t feel like the excitement necessarily exists within the Black community, right? Right now, like that’s — I don’t feel like they’re excited, right?” Crockett continued. She said several Black candidates are running in major Texas counties and suggested that introducing those candidates to voters could provide a different reason for them to participate. “That may excite them and get them to the polls,” she said. “So I’m working backwards.”
Crockett said she plans to campaign in Harris, Tarrant and Fort Bend counties, including places she carried during the Senate primary. “It is clear that there were areas that I was very successful in,” she said. “It was big, major cities. The ones that I won are the ones that I’m going back into.” She described that effort as her way of supporting the ticket while choosing where her influence could have the greatest effect.
A Texas Southern University poll cited by The Texas Tribune found that 79% of likely Black voters supported Talarico against Paxton, while 12% supported Paxton. The same reporting found that 77% of recent Black voters believed Texas Democrats took them for granted, although only 7% said Crockett’s primary defeat made them less likely to vote in November. Crockett said of Talarico’s chances, “I don’t think that there’s any Democrat that’s running right now that’s not gonna get the Black votes.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.
