Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) poured more cold water on James Talarico’s Senate campaign Thursday, saying black voters are not excited about the Democratic nominee as he seeks to defeat Texas Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton.
“What are you hearing from black voters that you spoke to in Texas? Is there excitement in terms of turnout?” CNN anchor Laura Coates asked Crockett.
“I don’t think that there is excitement,” Crockett replied.
Crockett said black voters “are practical” and may support Talarico without being enthusiastic about his candidacy, but she acknowledged that excitement could prove crucial on Election Day.
“You want them to feel that, because that gives you an idea again, if it’s raining on that day, if the lines are long, you want that excitement,” she said.
The Dallas-area congresswoman agreed with Coates that Democrats would need strong enthusiasm to overcome what they called “suppressive tactics.”
“We saw that happening obviously in the primary, and so yeah, we need that excitement to kind of get over some of the things that are going to be coming our way,” Crockett said.
Crockett’s provocative comments are the latest in a string of remarks casting doubt on her former primary rival’s bid to turn Texas blue.
Crockett argued that Democrats cannot depend on a compelling Senate candidate alone to lift the rest of the ticket, pointing to former Rep. Beto O’Rourke’s unsuccessful statewide campaigns.
“We’ve tried this where we’ve got one amazing candidate that’s running at the top of the ticket. Beto is a very good example of this, raising all the money, doing all the things, running around the entire state. But it’s not enough,” she said in the CNN interview.
With 67 days to go until the election, the traditionally safe red seat looks increasingly competitive. Several recent polls show Talarico narrowly leading Paxton, raising concerns that a bruising Republican primary may have left the GOP nominee vulnerable in November, The Daily Wire reported.
Even as some Republicans sound the alarm over the race, Crockett said she isn’t sold on the Talarico hype.
“I don’t know,” she told NBC when asked whether she thinks Talarico can win. “I watch money.”
“When I look at the money, if Republicans start spending money in Texas, then I’ll be convinced,” she said. “I look at: where does the NRSC stand? Where does DSCC stand? Right now, neither one are investing, which tells me that their internals are saying the same thing.”
Crockett endorsed Talarico after losing the March primary but has repeatedly declined to commit to campaigning alongside him, saying she intends to concentrate on down-ballot candidates.
Concerns about Talarico’s support among black voters extend beyond Crockett. Texas state Rep. Jolanda Jones, a Democrat, has warned that his campaign has failed to engage sufficiently with black elected officials and political organizations.
“Do I think that Talarico’s refusal thus far to engage black electeds and the black infrastructure has put him at a disadvantage? Absolutely,” Jones said earlier this summer.
“Talarico needs to pay for us to get our voters out,” Jones said. “If he continues to do what he has been doing, I believe Talarico is going to lose.”
Talarico, who has sparked backlash for his fringe views on Christianity, affection for transgender children, and disdain for the American flag, will need overwhelming support from minority voters and sky-high black turnout to win in one of America’s most culturally conservative states.
During the contentious March primary, Crockett outperformed Talarico in most urban areas, including Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and much of East Texas.
“Talarico and everybody statewide in the Democratic Party has a black problem, whether they acknowledge it or not,” Jones added. “And inspiration is not going to get us to the polls.”
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