Texas Democratic Senate primary shows how identity politics could haunt Democrats in 2028
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
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The primary has turned ugly, with Crockett defending comments she made to Vanity Fair about Latinos and immigration, and Talarico denying accusations of racism after a viral TikTok post claimed he called former Senate candidate Colin Allred a "mediocre Black man," prompting Allred to publicly rebuke Talarico and endorse Crockett.
Talarico's campaign spokesperson, J.T. Ennis, says Talarico has "repeatedly urged everyone to treat Congresswoman Crockett with respect and spoken out against racist attacks," while Crockett supporters have seized on the accusations to suggest Talarico is racially insensitive, according to Axios.
University of Houston political scientist Jeronimo Cortina warns that Texas Democrats can't afford primaries that leave the nominee "wounded," as turnout and unity decide general elections, and Democratic commentator Keith Edwards says the Crockett campaign's actions are "not something a campaign does when they're winning," citing the risks of identity-focused dynamics that hurt Democrats in 2024.
