Talarico Wins TX Dem Nom, GOP to Runoff03/04 06:09

   

   DALLAS (AP) -- State Rep. James Talarico topped Congresswoman Jasmine 
Crockett in an expensive and fiercely contested Texas Senate Democratic primary 
that once again has the party dreaming of a big upset in November.

   Who Talarico will face depends on a May runoff between longtime Republican 
Sen. John Cornyn and MAGA favorite Ken Paxton -- a race expected to get 
increasingly nasty over coming months and could hinge on whether or not 
President Donald Trump offers an endorsement.

   Texas, along with North Carolina and Arkansas, on Tuesday kicked off midterm 
elections with control of Congress at stake and against the backdrop of the 
U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

   No Democrat has won a statewide race in the reliably Republican state in 
over 30 years, but in a statement after his victory, Talarico proclaimed "We're 
about to take back Texas."

   Crockett's campaign said she planned to sue over voting issues in Dallas and 
she spoke only briefly on Tuesday night to warn that "people have been 
disenfranchised."

   Republicans head to round 2

   Cornyn, meanwhile, is seeking a fifth term but is facing a tough challenge 
from Paxton, the state attorney general. Cornyn hopes to avoid becoming the 
first Republican senator in Texas history to seek reelection and not be 
renominated.

   The GOP contest also featured U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt, who finished a distant 
third and conceded. But him making it a three-way race made it tougher for any 
candidate to reach the 50% vote threshold needed to win the nomination outright 
and avoid the May 26 runoff.

   All three campaigned on their ties to Trump, who did not make an endorsement 
in the race. Now both Cornyn and Paxton will again fiercely compete to curry 
the president's favor.

   Cornyn was facing a tough enough battle that he didn't hold an election 
night party. Instead, in comments to reporters in Austin, he sought to make the 
case that a runoff win by Paxton would leave "a dead weight at the top of the 
ticket for Republicans."

   "I've worked for decades to build the Republican Party, both here in Texas 
and nationally," Cornyn said. "I refuse to allow a flawed, self-centered and 
shameless candidate like Ken Paxton to risk everything we've worked so hard to 
build over these many years."

   Addressing supporters in Dallas, Paxton made a point of saying he felt like 
he had during a recent trip to Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Florida estate. He also 
proclaimed: "We proved something they'll never understand in Washington."

   "Texas is not for sale," he said.

   Cornyn's cool relationship with Trump is part of what made him vulnerable. 
He and allied groups spent at least $64 million in television advertising alone 
since July to try stabilize his support.

   Paxton, who began campaigning in earnest only last month, has made national 
headlines for filing lawsuits against Democratic initiatives. He remained 
popular in Texas despite a 2023 impeachment trial on corruption charges, of 
which he was acquitted, and accusations of marital infidelity by his wife.

   Senate GOP leaders, who are backing Cornyn, worry that Paxton's liabilities 
would make it harder to defend the seat if he is the nominee -- and require 
significant spending that could be better used elsewhere.

   Confusion at some polling places

   In the Democratic campaign, Crockett and Talarico each argued that they 
would be the stronger general election candidate in a state that backed Trump 
by almost 14 percentage points in 2024.

   Voting was extended in Dallas County and Williamson County, outside Austin, 
after voters reported being turned away and directed to different voting 
precincts because of new primary rules. Paxton's office later challenged a 
decision keeping the polls open longer, and the state Supreme Court ruled that 
ballots cast by people not in line by 7 p.m. should be separated from others.

   It was not immediately clear how the court's action would be carried out or 
how many eligible ballots remained to be counted in Dallas County, Crockett's 
home base. Crockett said she would seek legal action after voting was concluded.

   And in Harris County, which includes Houston, a spokesperson said that as of 
10 p.m. there were still voters at 20 centers.

   Democratic race featured clash of styles

   Crockett and Talarico waged a spirited race as Democrats look for their 
first Senate win in Texas since 1988.

   Crockett has built a national profile for zinger attacks on Republicans and 
focused on turning out Black voters in the Dallas and Houston areas. Talarico, 
a seminarian who often references the Bible, held rallies across the state, 
including in heavily Republican areas.

   "We are not just trying to win an election," a jubilant Talarico told 
supporters in Austin before the race was called. " We are trying to 
fundamentally change our politics. And it's working."

   Dallas voter Tanu Sani said she cast her ballot for Talarico because he 
"really spoke to me in the way he tries to unify."

   Tomas Sanchez, a voter in Dallas County, said he supported Crockett because 
"she cares about immigrants, she cares about the American people in a way that 
a lot of the Republicans have proven they haven't."

   Talarico outspent Crockett on television advertising by more than four to 
one as of late February. He got a burst of attention -- and campaign 
contributions -- last month from CBS' decision not to air his interview with 
late-night host Stephen Colbert, who said the network pulled the interview for 
fear of angering Trump's FCC.

   Other key primaries

   Texas' races also featured new congressional district boundaries that GOP 
lawmakers -- urged on by Trump -- redrew to help elect more Republicans. The 
result matched several Democratic incumbents in primary fights and set up new 
general election battlegrounds.

   Republican former Rep. Mayra Flores was attempting a comeback but was 
defeated by Eric Flores, a lawyer endorsed by Trump, for the nomination to run 
against Democratic Rep. Vicente Gonzalez. Mayra Flores made history in a 2022 
special election as the first Republican to win in the Rio Grande Valley in 150 
years but lost her bid for a full term later that year.

   Incumbent Republican Rep. Dan Crenshaw lost his primary to state Rep. Steve 
Toth, who was endorsed by Sen. Ted Cruz.

   Another incumbent GOP incumbent, Rep. Tony Gonzales, was considered 
vulnerable after an alleged affair with a staffer who killed herself. He was 
challenged by gun manufacturer and YouTube influencer Brandon Herrera, who 
calls himself "the AK guy." The two will head to a runoff in a district that 
includes Uvalde, site of a deadly 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School.

   Former Major League Baseball star Mark Teixeira clinched the Republican 
primary to succeed GOP Chip Roy in southwest Texas.

   Democrat Bobby Pulido, a Latin Grammy winner, won his party's primary in 
South Texas against physician Ada Cuellar. Pulido will face two-term Republican 
Rep. Monica De La Cruz.

   In suburban Dallas, Democratic Rep. Julie Johnson was facing former Rep. 
Colin Allred, a former NFL linebacker and 2024 Senate nominee.

   Democratic Rep. Al Green was fighting to stay in office after his 
Houston-based district was drawn to lean Republican. Green, 78, ran in a newly 
drawn district against Democratic Rep. Christian Menefee, 37, who won a January 
special election for the current 18th District.

   Republican Gov. Greg Abbott easily won his primary and will face Democratic 
state Rep. Gina Hinojosa. Roy advanced to a primary runoff with Mayes Middleton 
for attorney general.