Former Texas Democratic Rep. Jasmine credits her upset primary loss to Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico to racism.
Crockett dismissed suggestions that she should have spent more time campaigning alongside Talarico and instead defended both her strategy and her continued focus on down-ballot races.
“It Was a Racist Race”
Reflecting on the Democratic primary, Crockett argued that prejudice played a significant role in voters’ decisions.
“The reality is that there was a lot of races—not a lot, it was racist. It was a racist race. It is what it is, right? But we live in America as y’all are celebrating 250, okay? We know what this country is,” Crockett said.
Her comments come months after Talarico defeating Crockett despite weeks of polling that had shown her holding a comfortable lead in the race to challenge Republican Ken Paxton this November.
Crockett did not point to any specific incidents or provide evidence supporting her claim that racism was the decisive factor in the election’s outcome.
Defending Her Campaign Strategy
Crockett also rejected criticism that she should have campaigned more aggressively with Talarico before or after the primary.
“The best thing that I can do for James Talarico isn’t me standing on a stage with him,” she said.
Instead, Crockett argued that her efforts were better spent helping local Democratic candidates further down the ballot.
“It is the fact that I endorsed five candidates in the runoff who all happen to be black men in the state of Texas and every single one of them won,” she said.
“People keep trying to say, ‘Well, Jasmine has to go and hold his hand.’ No, I don’t,” she said. “If you can give people more than one thing to vote for, then you have a better chance of getting them out to the polls.”
Questions About Party Unity
Despite Democrats coalescing around Talarico after the primary, Crockett suggested enthusiasm within the party remains far from universal.
She said she has not observed widespread excitement among black voters or the broader Democratic coalition for Talarico or other statewide nominees.
“I’ve not heard a bunch of kumbaya,” Crockett said. “People don’t seem to be convinced at this point, but there’s a lot of time between now and November.”
Crockett also confirmed she plans to skip next week’s Texas Democratic Party convention.
When asked whether she intends to actively campaign for Talarico before November, she appeared noncommittal.
“I have no idea,” she said. “I am more focused on down-ballot races in general.”
Familiar Claims
Crockett’s comments are consistent with arguments she has made throughout her political career, frequently attributing political setbacks and broader societal issues to racism.
Recently, she asserted that America owes “everything” to black women, suggested that criticism directed toward her is often racially motivated, and defended several controversial remarks by framing them through the lens of race.
Her latest comments, however, have drawn attention because they strike many observers as baseless at best and bitter at worst.
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