Next week, Texas Democrats will descend on Corpus Christi for their state convention, and they’ll no doubt project unity in their quest to flip Texas blue. But there is a problem lurking beneath the surface, and I assure you, all is not well. You know how desperate Democrats are to flip this seat, and while few people really believe that’s possible, Jasmine Crockett seems determined to make it harder for Democrats to do it.
As you know, Crockett lost the primary to James Talarico after a bruising fight, and the wounds apparently haven't closed. She told The Dallas Morning News she won't be attending the convention, choosing instead to focus her energy on down-ballot races around the country.
That’s just a cover. Trust me. Why? Because Crockett is raising doubts about whether Democrats, and specifically black voters, have actually rallied around Talarico and the rest of the statewide ticket.
"I've not heard a bunch of kumbaya," she said. "People don't seem to be convinced at this point, but there's a lot of time between now and November."
Crockett clearly recognizes she could play a pivotal role in rallying black voters behind Talarico, but when asked point-blank whether she intended to campaign for or alongside him, she offered nothing resembling an endorsement. "I have no idea," she said.
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Talarico's campaign says he tried to extend an olive branch, calling Crockett and leaving a voicemail suggesting she deliver the keynote address at the convention.
Crockett confirmed the call came in, but made clear she has no intention of engaging with it. "I had a missed call that I've not returned, nor have I listened to the message from Talarico," she said. "It seemed like an afterthought invite. I can't say for sure, because I haven't listened to it."
Crockett's value to this race isn’t merely symbolic. She carries genuine weight with black voters across Texas, a constituency Democrats have leaned on for decades as the most dependable piece of their coalition. And she won’t lift a finger.
Gordon Abner, an associate professor at the University of Texas, didn't sugarcoat the stakes when he spoke with Newsweek on Friday. "I think Talarico needs all the support he can get, especially from Black Democrats and Black Democratic women," he said. "They are the most consistent base of the party. Not having clear and strong support from Jasmine Crockett will absolutely hurt him." Abner also noted that Talarico remains a relative unknown to many older black voters, a problem in any election but a particularly dangerous one in a midterm, when turnout already skews lower and less reliable. "I wouldn't believe that Talarico has strong support from Black voters, or anyone really, until I see them turn out for him," Abner said. "Assumptions are always dangerous, and polls can easily misjudge who will turn out."
Grant Davis Reeher, a political science professor at Syracuse University, framed the episode as more than just one Senate race. "This may be a preview of the party's dysfunctions to come in 2028, if it can't sort this kind of problem out," he told Newsweek. He zeroed in on Crockett's refusal to offer even a hint of support for her own party's nominee. "Crockett's comments were damning in their absence of praise or support, and certainly do not help the party's cause in the general election," Reeher said. "She has 'no idea' whether she'll support a fellow Democrat running against Ken Paxton? Really?"
Yeah, that’s bad. And they all know it’s bad. Crockett is letting her bruised ego do the talking, and she’s sending a message that couldn’t be clearer: Democrats made the wrong choice. By refusing to rally behind Talarico, return his calls, or even say whether she’ll support him, she’s effectively telling voters that the party passed over the candidate it should have nominated. And if she’s willing to undermine her party’s nominee because she didn’t get the job she wanted, she’s also telling Democrats that there will be a price for choosing someone else.
