Updated on: March 4, 2026 / 3:16 AM EST / CBS News
Texas Rep. James Talarico is projected to win the U.S. Senate Democratic primary in Texas, defeating Rep. Jasmine Crockett and securing enough votes to avoid a runoff, CBS News projects. He will face either incumbent GOP Sen. John Cornyn or conservative Attorney General Ken Paxton, who will meet in a Republican runoff on May 26.
The state’s Senate primary became the most expensive in history and exposed deep divisions within both parties. Crockett, a former public defender who represented Dallas-area constituents, courted the Democratic base by positioning herself as a fighter against President Trump and other Republicans. Talarico, a former middle school teacher and Presbyterian minister-in-training, ran on a message of inclusivity and what he calls the “politics of love.”
Democrats have not won a statewide race in Texas since 1994, but the party has targeted this seat after Beto O’Rourke came within three points of beating Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018. Democrats believed Republicans were vulnerable this cycle amid an acrimonious and expensive GOP primary between Cornyn and Paxton.
Several prominent Democrats were rumored to consider runs, including O’Rourke, Rep. Joaquin Castro and former Rep. Colin Allred. Allred entered the Senate race in July but later opted to run in the newly redrawn House District 33, and Talarico launched his campaign in September. Crockett entered the Senate contest after Allred’s switch, prompting Republicans to suggest she would be the weaker general election candidate.
The Democratic primary largely featured agreement on policy, turning the contest into a clash of styles and personalities. Both candidates campaigned statewide and ran aggressive ads against the other. Talarico drew national attention in February when his scheduled appearance on CBS’ The Late Show with Stephen Colbert did not air on the broadcast network due to new FCC guidance; Colbert posted the full interview on YouTube. Talarico raised about $2.5 million in the 24 hours following the Colbert controversy.
According to VoteHub, roughly 1.5 million votes were cast in the Democratic primary during the 11-day early voting period—more than double the number four years earlier.
Election-day procedures saw disruptions in Dallas County, where a judge ordered polls to remain open two extra hours amid confusion over new precinct rules. The state Supreme Court stayed that order and instructed that ballots cast after the usual 7 p.m. CT closing time be segregated; the number of ballots cast after the deadline and their ultimate status remained unclear.
Crockett led decisively in Dallas County and said late Tuesday that she did not expect final results that evening because of the Dallas issues. “Unfortunately, this is what Republicans like to do. And so they specifically targeted Dallas County. And I think we all know why,” she told supporters.
Talarico did not formally declare victory but told supporters he was confident in the movement they built and criticized the Dallas situation as voter suppression.
The general election matchup will depend on the outcome of the Republican runoff between Cornyn and Paxton.