Texas Democratic Primary Tests Electability, Gaza Divide, and Super PAC Influence
During a 2025 appearance on “Urban View,” before Texas redistricting reshaped the political map, Rep. Jasmine Crockett said Democrats were already looking ahead to 2028 and eyeing what she described as the “safest white boy.” She suggested the party had “one specific candidate” in mind.
“It is this fear that the people within the party, within the primary system, will have about voting for a woman because every time we voted for a woman, we’ve lost,” Crockett said at the time.
That ‘safe’ choice may have came early, once State Rep. James Talarico entered the Senate race. Talarico, an educator with degrees from the University of Texas at Austin and Harvard University, is a former San Antonio middle school teacher who is also training to be a Presbyterian minister. Elected to the Texas House in 2018 on an education focused platform, he is now running for U.S. Senate.
In Texas, Crockett faces an electability test against Talarico. If she advances, she will likely confront a formidable Republican opponent in November, whether incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, Attorney General Ken Paxton, or Rep. Wesley Hunt.
Crockett has embodied what progressive activists said they wanted in a national leader: a vocal advocate, a “firebrand,” and a consistent challenger of Donald Trump and GOP leadership. She became a visible surrogate during the Kamala Harris campaign and was widely described as a rising star.
Since announcing her Senate bid, that enthusiasm has cooled. Recent headlines, including a fallout from the Stephen Colbert interview controversy and the Dallas Morning News endorsement of Talarico, have reinforced that what once looked like a clear path for Crockett has become a competitive primary.
Beyond personality and endorsements, a deeper divide runs through the party. One of the most complicated fault lines within the Democratic Party since 2024 has been Israel and Gaza.
According to Axios, Democratic officials involved in the party’s internal 2024 election review concluded that Kamala Harris lost measurable support over the Biden administration’s handling of the war in Gaza. The issue exposed fractures between progressive and moderate Democrats over U.S. support for Israel.
This also comes during a recent AP NORC poll showing Democratic favorability remains sluggish.
During her campaign, Harris attempted a balance, affirming Israel’s right to defend itself while calling for a ceasefire and expressing concern for Palestinian civilians and Israeli hostages.
Those dilemmas still are surfacing in the Crockett-Talarico contest.
Crockett argues her votes related to Israel were part of broader legislative packages with multiple priorities. Talarico has framed his position as moral clarity, supporting Israel’s right to defend itself while criticizing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and calling for restrictions on U.S. funding that contributes to civilian harm.
As both campaigns navigate foreign policy divides, their finances have drawn scrutiny.
The Texas Tribune reported that the pro-Talarico Lone Star Rising PAC received 3.75 million dollars from Government That Works PAC, which in turn reported 4 million dollars from the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a major Democratic aligned funding hub. Individual contributors to Lone Star Rising PAC included LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman, who gave 500,000 dollars, and Austin philanthropist Simone Coxe, who contributed 400,000 dollars.
Hoffman is named in the Epstein Files and has been to multiple Epstein properties, including the island.
Crockett labeled the support “concealed” super PAC money, pointing to FEC filings showing layered transfers that she argues obscure original sources.
“My opponent claims that he will tax the rich and abolish Super PACs, yet he has welcomed and embraced these billionaires and their dark money support in the primary,” Crockett said. “This is why people are so turned off with politicians. My opponent says one thing but does another.”
Crockett is also backed by a super PAC, Texas Forward, which began spending after the most recent disclosure deadline, meaning its latest donors will not be publicly reported until after the primary.
A Talarico spokesman told reporters that federal law bars coordination between campaigns and super PACs and that his campaign had no involvement in outside advertising. Talarico has said he supports banning super PACs but will not “universally disarm” in a competitive race.
Democrats are not alone in turmoil, as larger skepticism extends beyond this race. An AP NORC poll shows roughly one quarter of Americans hold negative views of both major parties, particularly independents and younger voters.
As the Crockett Talarico primary concludes, the result will test whether Democratic voters can consolidate behind a nominee amid internal fractures over foreign policy, campaign funds, and electability. Whoever emerges will carry not only the nomination, but the weight of a party still searching for cohesion.
