The closely watched Democratic primary for Senate in Texas, which has turned into a battle between Rep. Jasmine Crockett and state Rep. James Talarico, is not just testing what style of candidate Democrats prefer heading into 2026, but also two different theories of how to win elections in a state that Democrats will need to win, if they want to retake control of the Senate.
Any path back to a Democratic majority in the Senate basically requires a win in Texas, with Democrats needing to flip four seats to win a bare 51-seat majority. This, combined with the feeling that 2026 appears to be the best chance for Democrats in Texas since 2018, has made the Senate race one of the marquee congressional races in the midterms.