IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser.

Viral dispute over 'mediocre' comment exposes racial divides in Democrats' Texas Senate primary

"Talarico’s going to have to do better with Black voters," and "Crockett’s going to have to do better with white and Latino voters," said one Texas Democrat not involved in the race.
Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico
State Rep. James Talarico and Rep. Jasmine Crockett in Georgetown, Texas, on Jan. 24.Bob Daemmrich / The Texas Tribune/Bloomberg via Getty Images
By Bridget Bowman
Listen to this article with a free account

The controversy over Texas state Rep. James Talarico’s alleged comment about one of his former Democratic opponents has exposed some of the racial divides unfolding in the party's Senate primary, with just a few weeks until voters pick a nominee.

A TikTok influencer went viral this week with an allegation that Talarico described former Rep. Colin Allred as a “mediocre Black man,” which Talarico said was a “mischaracterization” as Allred slammed the comment as disqualifying.

"Go vote for Jasmine Crockett,” Allred said in a video response, endorsing Talarico’s opponent in the Democratic primary. “This man should not be our nominee for United States Senate.”

Allred had been running for the Democratic Senate nomination against Talarico, but he switched to a House campaign after Crockett jumped into the race. He told NBC News on Wednesday that he was moved to speak out in part because Black voters are so crucial to the state. And he suggested Talarico would not be able to win their support.

“If you can speak that way about me, then you don’t have the requisite respect, understanding, empathy to represent, but also to receive the support of, Black voters in Texas, in my opinion,” said Allred, who described the comment as “dismissive and offensive.”

Yet as Talarico faces pressure and questions about his appeal to Black voters, Crockett is also navigating some struggles with Latino voters. Talarico has made gains among that key group, according to the limited public polling that's been available, and Crockett faced criticism for past comments of her own about Latino voters. Both segments are large, crucial building blocks for Democrats looking to notch their first Senate win in Texas in more than 30 years.

Talarico campaign spokesperson JT Ennis said in a statement to NBC News on Wednesday, "The time to turn down the temperature and heal our divides isn’t after primary day, it’s right now. The only way to end one-party rule in Texas is by bringing people together — across religion, across race, across gender — to defeat Republican extremism."

Morgan Thompson, a content creator, kicked off the back-and-forth on Monday when she posted a video on TikTok saying, “James Talarico told me that he signed up to run against a mediocre Black man, not a formidable, intelligent Black woman.”

Thompson, who had previously supported Talarico, said the state legislator was comparing Allred and Crockett.

Talarico responded with a statement on Monday saying that Thompson’s comments were “a mischaracterization of a private conversation.”

“In my praise of Congresswoman Crockett, I described Congressman Allred’s method of campaigning as mediocre — but his life and service are not. I would never attack him on the basis of race,” Talarico said.

Crockett mostly declined to weigh in on the episode, telling NBC News as she left the House floor on Tuesday, “I think it all speaks for itself, since Talarico weighed in and basically admitted that he said it.”

Primary divisions

The latest conflict comes as Talarico and Crockett each try to piece together a winning coalition ahead of the March 3 primary.

“The two biggest divides in the race that you see are along education lines and on race,” said Luke Warford, director of Texas Public Opinion Research, which recently released a primary poll showing a close contest.

Warford, a Democratic strategist who also founded a group to boost the party’s infrastructure in the state, noted Crockett has a sizable advantage among Black voters and voters without college degrees, while Talarico has an edge among Latino and white voters and college degree-holders.

“The voters that I believe are supporting my candidacy are voters that feel as if they have a rapport with me,” Crockett said of her support among Black voters. “There’s a lot of people that are just now being introduced to Mr. Talarico for the first time, even though he’s been elected longer than I have. And so I think that it’s more so about trust and the relationships that candidates are able to build with communities.”

Talarico recently acknowledged that he is trailing among Black voters in an interview with NBC Dallas-Fort Worth, noting polling has also shown he is not as well known.

“I’m the new kid on the block and I’ve got to do the work to introduce myself to voters all over this state, to earn their trust, earn their respect and earn their support,” Talarico said. "That’s why I’m going to every corner of Texas”

Ennis, the Talarico campaign spokesperson, noted in his statement, "In the Texas Legislature, James has partnered with Black Texans to fight racist redistricting maps, push our public schools to fulfill their purpose as the great equalizer, pass major criminal justice reforms, and make childcare, housing, and healthcare more affordable."

"James has continued this engagement by hosting events with Black community leaders, engaging with Black churches, having conversations with Black media, earning the support of Black elected officials from every region, and investing in targeted relational organizing in Black communities," Ennis added.

Jamarr Brown, a Democratic strategist and former executive director of the Texas Democratic Party, said Black voters are key to any path to victory.

"It is essential to have a high number of Black voters going into any election for any Democrat in Texas," Brown said, calling Black voters “the most consistent voters” for the party.

While Crockett has built up an advantage among Black voters, Talarico has had an edge among Latino voters. Along with campaign events in Latino areas and interviews with Latino media outlets, the Talarico campaign also recently launched a Spanish language TV ad. Talarico has received endorsements from high-profile Latino leaders, like Tejano music star Bobby Pulido, who is running for a competitive House seat in South Texas.

Crockett told NBC News that she is also working to appeal to Latino voters, and said she believes she is particularly strong among Hispanic women.

Crockett suggested some in the Latino community had been “gaslit” about comments she made in 2024 during an interview with Vanity Fair, where she likened Latino immigrants’ views of undocumented immigrants to a “slave mentality.” Crockett said she believes the comments were taken out of context, noting, “I’m a Black woman, so I relate things to the Black experience.”

“The way that I actually govern, I tell people all the time, I have five Latinas that are bilingual, fluently bilingual, on my staff. I don’t just say that I want a Latino vote or put out an ad, like we live this life,” Crockett said. “They are always able to contribute to the work that we do.”

Looming challenge

With a primary divided in part along racial lines, the challenge for the eventual nominee will be to win over voters of all races and build a broad enough coalition to win the traditionally Republican state.

“The fact that the candidates have drawn themselves into a fight that’s picking sides around these types of electorates, it’s just really a shame and it’s not setting either of them up on a path to victory in the general,” said one Texas Democratic strategist not involved in the race, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly. “Talarico’s going to have to do better with Black voters, period. And he knows it. And Crockett’s going to have to do better with white and Latino voters, period. And she knows it.”

Brown, the former executive director of the state Democratic Party, said the eventual nominee will need “90%-plus” support from Black voters in November. He said there is “a possibility” that the controversy surrounding Talarico’s comment about Allred could hurt his standing with Black voters, but it’s not clear how much impact it could have on voters’ thinking. Brown said the bigger challenge for Talarico and Crockett is to convey how they will show up for the Black community.

"I think that there are a lot of voters that are still available for both candidates,” Brown said.

The episode could at least affect Allred’s vote. Asked if he would support Talarico if he is the party’s Senate nominee, Allred said, “I think I’m going to need an apology first and we’re going to have a conversation,” noting he had not heard from Talarico directly.

“I think the silence has been deafening, so it would make it very difficult for me,” Allred said.

Allred said Black turnout will be key this year, noting turnout in predominantly Black precincts dropped in 2024, when he lost to GOP Sen. Ted Cruz by 9 percentage points as President Donald Trump won Texas by 14 points. Allred attributed that drop to Democrats and former President Joe Biden bearing the blame for the high cost of living, and he said it’s important for this year’s Senate nominee to focus on boosting that turnout.

Other Democratic strategists noted that bringing together Black, Latino, Asian and white voters will be key to Democrats’ path to victory in November.

“Whichever candidate emerges on March 3 has a duty to reach out to voters and other leaders who did not vote for them in the primary,” said Brown. “My hope is we don’t just get caught up in one fight.”

Bridget Bowman

Bridget Bowman is a national political reporter for NBC News.