In the Senate Democratic primary, Talarico has made his church’s ethos of compassion central to his campaign, while Jasmine Crockett is tapping into the civic power of Black churches.
Kayla Guo
Kayla Guo covers state politics and government. Before joining the Tribune, she covered Congress for The New York Times as a reporting fellow based in Washington, D.C. Kayla has also covered transportation policy for Politico and local news for The Raleigh News & Observer, and she was a part-time digital producer for The Boston Globe. She graduated from Brown University, where she studied public policy and served as editor-in-chief and president of the independent student newspaper. She was born and raised on Long Island, New York. She is based in Austin.
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2026 Texas Elections
Rick Perry says his political group will spend “whatever we need” to support John Cornyn in Senate primary
The former Texas governor chairs the Lone Star Freedom Project, a group that has already spent almost $18 million boosting Cornyn against Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt.
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2026 Texas Elections
Stephen Colbert blasts CBS for nixing James Talarico interview
The late-night host said the network feared running afoul of new FCC guidance directing shows to give equal airtime to political candidates.
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2026 Texas Elections
In Senate Democratic primary fraught with racial tensions, Black voters could be decisive
Jasmine Crockett has built enormous enthusiasm among Black voters based in part on her reputation as a fighter, while her opponent in the Texas primary, James Talarico, has struggled to win their support.
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2026 Texas Elections
In fiercely competitive Democratic Senate race, social media influencers increasingly drive the conversation
The near-constant stream of takes from content creators has come to frame the primary between Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico as a referendum on identity politics in the Democratic Party.
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2026 Texas Elections
On the issues: a Q&A with the Texas Republicans running for U.S. Senate
GOP candidates John Cornyn, Wesley Hunt and Ken Paxton refused to participate in a candidate Q&A on major issues, ranging from foreign policy to artificial intelligence. We used their past statements and voting history to show voters where they differ.
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2026 Texas Elections
On the issues: a Q&A with the Texas Democrats running for U.S. Senate
To help primary voters differentiate between the two, we asked Jasmine Crockett and James Talarico where they fall on major issues, ranging from international policy to taxes. See where they stand, and how they differ.
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2026 Texas Elections
Colin Allred blasts James Talarico over disputed TikTok allegation that he called him a “mediocre Black man”
Talarico called the allegation a “mischaracterization” and said he was describing Allred’s “method of campaigning.” Allred, Talarico’s rival in the Senate primary before dropping his bid, also urged Democrats to vote for Talarico’s opponent, Jasmine Crockett.
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2026 Texas Elections
Talarico began 2026 with bigger war chest than Crockett in Democratic Senate primary awash in cash
Crockett raised about $2 million between her Dec. 8 campaign launch and year’s end, about one-third of Talarico’s haul over the first three weeks of his Senate bid.
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State Government
Dan Patrick lists property tax cuts, preventing Sharia law among priorities for 2027 session
Patrick’s initial five-item to-do list also included assessing risks posed by hostile foreign entities to the grid’s supply chain and preventing fraud in Texas’ health and human services.