With early voting underway ahead of the March 3rd Democratic primary, U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, who is running for the Texas Senate seat, is urging Texans to focus on candidate qualifications and turnout as millions pour into the contest.
At a recent Houston fundraiser during Black History Month, where she raised about $37,000, Crockett framed her candidacy as both historic and rooted in experience.
| Box: Early voting: Tuesday, Feb. 17 – Friday, Feb. 27 Mon-Sat: 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.; Sun: 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. Election Day: Tuesday, March 37 a.m. – 7 p.m |
“When we got into this race, I knew that I couldn’t just be a Black woman who was qualified; in fact, the most qualified for the position,” Crockett said. “I knew that was never gonna be enough…I haven’t asked for anybody to vote for me just because I’m Black or a woman.”
Crockett repeatedly emphasized that Texas is a “majority minority state” and argued that her identity should not be seen as someone whose clips go viral, but one who works behind the scenes.
She is running against State Rep. James Talarico and Ahmad Hassan from the Democratic Party, and John Cornyn (seeking his fifth term), Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Anna Bender, U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt, Virgil John Bierschwale, John O. Adefope, Sara Canady, and Gulrez “Gus” Khan from the Republican Party.
Republicans have won every U.S. Senate election in Texas since 1990, and an incumbent senator has not lost a primary since 1970.
Positioning against James Talarico
Asked why Houstonians should support her over Democratic opponent State Rep. James Talarico, Crockett framed the race as a choice between money and record.
Crockett, who has been battling negative ads and campaign spending, urged Houston voters to turn out.
“First of all, Houstonians just need to vote,” she told the Defender.
Crockett contrasted the name recognition built through work against Talarico.
She also took a shot at her primary opponent over a donor’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein. Filings with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) show that billionaire AI investor Reid Hoffman has contributed to Talarico’s Super PAC.
“It’s one thing if your friends show up and they show up to uplift you,” Crockett added. “But frankly, it’s clear that they don’t think that that’s enough in order to win. You have to ask yourself why…If people start to follow the money, they will realize the various levels of threats that I present.”
News outlets reported that Crockett also pledged not to have taken corporate PAC money, but transferred funds (at least $26,500) from her House campaign to her Senate run, which lets her use such funds.
Issues: affordability and accountability
Substantively, Crockett said she centered her campaign on “affordability and accountability,” saying those are the two issues that matter most to Texans.
She pointed to concerns about jobs, health care, housing, and education costs, while criticizing federal health care cuts and economic policies she says hurt working families.
Crockett also emphasized her legislative and legal background, noting that she is the only federal lawmaker in the race and that she has experience drafting legislation and vetting judicial nominees.
“I have the resume,” she said. “I’ve been a small business owner, a state lawmaker. I also practice law, both in Texas, Arkansas state and in federal courts. The job is to write laws. The job is to deal with any of these people who think that they are entitled to an appointment, especially the judges.”
Crockett also pointedly said, “My opponent has been an official longer than I have. What exactly had you been fighting for because you’ve been elected longer than I have?”
Education, she said in a separate exchange, is “truly the antidote” to political disengagement and confusion about state and local governance.
Calling the recently implemented $1 billion school voucher program in Texas a “scam,” she asked if parents understand its consequences.
The money question: FEC filings and outside spending
Campaign finance has become a central theme in the race.
Based on the latest FEC reports, Talarico has raised far more money than Crockett in this race.
Talarico reported total receipts of $ 20.7 million and cash on hand of $4.79 million. Crockett reported raising $7.9 million and having $74,616 in cash on hand.
Talarico has also spent more overall, about $16 million, compared to Crockett’s $9.44 million in total disbursements.
State Rep. Ron Reynolds said finances matter but are not determinative.
“I think finances play a major role, but oftentimes the candidate that spends the most money doesn’t win the race,” he said. “It’s the candidate’s authenticity and ability to connect with the candidates that really makes the most difference.”
Talarico raised more than $2 million for his campaign within 24 hours after his interview with Stephen Colbert, which was shared on YouTube. The episode did not air during his television broadcast.
Colbert said it was because the network was concerned about the Trump administration’s guidelines on giving equal airtime to political candidates. CBS refuted Colbert’s claims, arguing it “provided legal guidance” that the interview could trigger the equal-time rule from the Federal Communications Commission.
BREAKING: Our campaign raised $2.5 million in 24 hours after the FCC banned our Colbert interview. pic.twitter.com/g6v4gzGAhS
— James Talarico (@jamestalarico) February 18, 2026
Crockett said it provided him with an advantage in his fundraising endeavours.
Will she accept Colbert’s invitation now?
“Yes and no,” she told the Defender. “I’ve done the Colbert Show two times before. This particular situation allowed for a big injection of money into his [Talarico] campaign. Right now, I’m focused on Texans. We are in the middle of voting, and honestly, even if they had offered me equal time, I don’t know that I would have taken it because right now it is about Texas. It’s not about anything else.”
