How the Texas primary could rewrite the Democrats’ campaign playbook

Both Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico have a theory of politics to test

Published

March 3, 2026 6:30AM (EST)

Democratic candidates Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico, who are competing for their party’s nomination in the Texas U.S. Senate primary ahead of the 2026 general election. (Photo illustration by Salon / Getty Images / John Medina / Richard Rodriguez)

The closely watched Democratic primary for Senate in Texas, which has turned into a battle between Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico, is not just testing what style of candidate Democrats prefer heading into 2026, but also two different theories of how to win elections in a state that Democrats will need to win, if they want to retake control of the Senate.