Texas polls begin to close as Democratic rivals battle in Senate primary

Texas polls begin to close as Democratic rivals battle in Senate primary Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico locked in fiercely contested race as Democrats eye upset in midterms As polls began to close across Texas on Tuesday evening, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett and state representative James Talarico were locked in a fiercely contested and unpredictable primary that has drawn record-level turnout and outsized national attention. The marquee Senate race, unfolding in a state Democrats have not carried statewide in more than three decades, has become an early test of competing political playbooks for challenging Republican dominance – and Donald Trump. In the final weeks, the race has raised fraught questions about race, identity and electability for a party searching for a path back to power in Washington. Crockett, the 44-year-old former public defender who has built a reputation as a rhetorical brawler, is vowing to energize the party’s base – turning out young people and voters of color furious with the president and desperate for their leaders to take a more confrontational approach. Talarico, a former middle school teacher and current seminary student, is pitching a “top v bottom” economic message that he says can cut across political divides. The stakes are unusually high because a messy Republican primary that could see the state’s scandal-scarred attorney general, Ken Paxton, emerge as the nominee, giving Democrats a rare opening to seriously contest the seat. Polling has diverged widely in the final weeks. Although Crockett enjoyed a comfortable early lead, boosted by her high name recognition, more recent polls have found a much closer race. Talarico has performed well among self-described liberals, while Crockett has run stronger with moderates and some conservative Democrats – contrary to the impression by some in the party that she is the more progressive candidate in the race. Crockett, who was recently endorsed by Kamala Harris, has consolidated ov...