...
By Kate Plummer
Senior US News Reporter
0
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
State Representative James Talarico has won the Texas Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate, beating Representative Jasmine Crockett with 53 percent of the vote to Crockett's 45.7 percent, according to The Associated Press.
Votes were counted in all of Texas' 254 counties and the AP called the race for Talarico at 2:37 a.m. ET (1:37 a.m. CT) on Wednesday.
Talarico performed particularly well in Bexar County, home of San Antonio, and Travis County, where Texas' capital Austin is located. Crockett on the other hand performed well in Harris, the location of the major Texan city Houston, and in Dallas county.
Read More on Politics
Below, Newsweek has created a map showing the election results in the race by county.
View content
https://public.flourish.studio/visualisation/27889248/
Why It Matters
The Talarico-Crockett contest was first high-profile Democratic primary of the 2026 cycle, and it could suggest the direction the Democratic Party might go in as it seeks to regain power of Congress.
Talarico, is a Texas state lawmaker, first elected in 2018, and viewed as a rising Democrat and a moderate focused on economic populism and broad voter appeal, while Crockett, who was elected to Congress in 2022, was seen as a more progressive option for Texas.
What To Know
Talarico won 164 counties and Crockett won 84. The pair were statistically tied in five counties and their rival Ahmad Hassan won one county, Newton.
Of Texas' major counties, Talarico saw strong performances in Bexar and Travis, where he won 57 percent and 75.6 percent of the vote respectively.
Meanwhile, Crockett received 51.5 percent of the vote in Harris and 59 percent of the vote in Dallas.
Crockett also saw more wins in the east of Texas while Talarico picked up more counties in central Texas and in the west.
...
What People Are Saying
James Talarico told supporters before the race was called: "This is proof that there is something happening in Texas. Tonight, the people of our state gave this country a little bit of hope, and a little bit of hope is a dangerous thing."
Jasmine Crockett told supporters on Tuesday night: "We're not going to have election results tonight, in my opinion, based upon what specifically is taking place in Dallas County. Unfortunately, this is what Republicans like to do. And so, they specifically targeted Dallas County, and I think we all know why."
What Happens Next
Talarico will now advance to the November general election and will face either Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton or Senator John Cornyn who headed to a runoff scheduled for May 26, after failing to secure a majority of the vote in the Republican primary on Tuesday.
Texas Democrats have not won statewide office in Texas, from governor to railroad commissioner, since 1994.
In a polarized era, the center is dismissed as bland. At Newsweek, ours is different: The Courageous Center—it's not "both sides," it's sharp, challenging and alive with ideas. We follow facts, not factions. If that sounds like the kind of journalism you want to see thrive, we need you.
When you become a Newsweek Member, you support a mission to keep the center strong and vibrant. Members enjoy: Ad-free browsing, exclusive content and editor conversations. Help keep the center courageous. Join today.
View 0 Comments
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines