Who's running in the Texas Democratic primary? Details on Crockett, Talarico

Two names are at the focal point of a closely watched Democratic primary in Texas: State Rep. James Talarico and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett.

Voting has already started ahead of the Tuesday, March 3, primary that will determine which of two Democrats heads to a Senate race next fall. Talarico and Crockett have gained national attention in the race to galvanize Democratic voters at a time when their party's approval rating among supporters has sunk.

Here's what to know about the two Democrats and why their race matters to the nation.

Who is Jasmine Crockett?

Crockett, 44, is an outspoken liberal lawmaker who has worked in Washington serving Texas' 30^th Congressional District since January 2023.

Crockett currently serves on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. She was also appointed as Communications Task Force Co-Chair for the Democratic Women's Caucus. 

Crockett was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and her father was a teacher and preacher, while her mother worked for the federal government, according to her campaign website.

She graduated in 2003 from Rhodes College and studied law at Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University and later graduated from the University of Houston Law Center in 2006. After law school, she was a public defender and then opened a civil rights and criminal defense law firm, according to Ballotpedia.

She ran and won a seat in the Texas state legislature in 2021. That same year, she joined Democratic state representatives (including Talarico) in a quorum-breaking walkout to block Republicans from passing a bill that would strengthen voting restrictions.

Crockett was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2022. She soared to national prominence with her quippy cable news responses and viral arguments with Republicans like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Attorney General Pam Bondi in congressional hearings.

The Dallas-area lawmaker announced her bid for the Senate in December 2025, upping the ante for a party that hasn't claimed a statewide win in over 35 years. If elected, she would be the first Black senator from the Lone Star State.

But the first week of early voting in Texas, which began Feb. 17, showed Democrats outpacing Republicans at the polls.

"We're hoping and praying that the surge is for me because our theory of the case, which was more so for the general election, was that I could excite new people because my candidacy in general is just different," Crockett said in a one-on-one interview with USA TODAY.

"I mean, I'm not your traditional candidate."

Who is James Talarico?

Talarico is also no stranger to the national spotlight. At least, not after his viral appearance on "The Late Show" with Stephen Colbert.

Talarico was born in 1989 in Round Rock, Texas, to a single mother, according to his campaign website. When his father became abusive, his mother moved them to a hotel, and later an apartment, and raised Talarico in east Austin.

He earned a bachelor's degree in government from the University of Texas at Austin. He then went to work for Teach for America as a sixth grade language arts teacher at Rhodes Middle School on the westside of San Antonio, a historically Mexican-American community. Talarico then pursued a master's degree in education policy from Harvard University, according to Ballotpedia.

Talarico was first elected to the state House in 2018, gaining attention for walking the full expanse of his district. The Texas lawmaker prioritized education, promoting his "Whole Student Agenda."

He has served on various committees for education, housing and economic development. He gained national recognition in 2021 when he and fellow Democrats launched the quorum-breaking walkout over concerns for voting rights. He also joined Democrats who fled the state in August 2025 to thwart a GOP redistricting effort.

The grandson of a preacher, Talarico is a devout Christian, and his faith is influential on his political career. He earned a Master of Divinity degree at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, studying while serving as a state representative.

Talarico drew attention last month when his appearance on Colbert's Feb. 16 episode of "The Late Show" was pulled by CBS' lawyers, according to Colbert, who suggested the network feared a new interpretation of FCC's "equal time rule" requiring broadcast networks and radio stations to give equal time to all candidates in an election. The interview later appeared on the show's YouTube channel, and Talarico posted it on social media, describing it as the "interview Donald Trump didn't want you to see."

Dems and Republicans set for infighting in Texas primary

There are marginal policy differences between the two campaigns, which jostle over who is more progressive, particularly on health care, immigration and affordability. But either way, both Crockett and Talarico offer new styles as Democrats try to take on MAGA politics.

Republicans are fighting their own battles for a spot on the ticket. The incumbent, Rep. John Cornyn, 74, is considered an institution in Lone Star State politics. But he faces two aggressive, populist-minded challengers in Rep. Wesley Hunt and Attorney General Ken Paxton. Trump hasn't endorsed a candidate in the GOP race.

Voting has already begun

Early voting began Feb. 17, and heavy turnout is more than double what it was in the past two election cycles on the Democratic side, reports say. In-person voting will be held Tuesday, March 3. Find your polling location here.

Contributing: Jay Stahl, Phillip M. Bailey, Adam Powell