Jasmine Crockett Calls in Kamala’s Kavalry

As many of you know, Texas’s 2026 primary is held next Tuesday, and early voting is already underway. There are a slew of tightly contested races up and down the ballot within both parties, many of which seem likely to head to a later runoff. (Expect a rip-roaring, Texas mesquite–smoked Carnival of Fools on Tuesday previewing it all.)

But the true headliner is the one race that will likely be decided on the night, however narrowly: soon-to-be former Representative Jasmine Crockett versus Texas State Representative James Talarico, for the privilege of running for Senate in November. A Democratic Senate nomination normally wouldn’t be worth a jar of warm sputum in a state as Republican as Texas, but these are not normal times: Republicans seem suicidally intent on turfing out incumbent Senator John Cornyn in favor of incandescently corrupt state Attorney General Ken Paxton, which puts the seat in serious jeopardy in November — to a credibly moderate Democrat, that is. (As for Paxton, what is there to say? I’ll cite an old Orwell maxim and leave it at that.)

JB

About the Author

Jeffrey Blehar

Jeffrey Blehar is a National Review staff writer living in Chicago. He is also the co-host of National Review’s Political Beats podcast, which explores the great music of the modern era with guests from the political world happy to find something non-political to talk about.

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As many of you know, Texas’s 2026 primary is held next Tuesday, and early voting is already underway. There are a slew of tightly contested races up and down the ballot within both parties, many of which seem likely to head to a later runoff. (Expect a rip-roaring, Texas mesquite–smoked Carnival of Fools on Tuesday previewing it all.)

But the true headliner is the one race that will likely be decided on the night, however narrowly: soon-to-be former Representative Jasmine Crockett versus Texas State Representative James Talarico, for the privilege of running for Senate in November. A Democratic Senate nomination normally wouldn’t be worth a jar of warm sputum in a state as Republican as Texas, but these are not normal times: Republicans seem suicidally intent on turfing out incumbent Senator John Cornyn in favor of incandescently corrupt state Attorney General Ken Paxton, which puts the seat in serious jeopardy in November — to a credibly moderate Democrat, that is. (As for Paxton, what is there to say? I’ll cite an old Orwell maxim and leave it at that.)

JB

About the Author

Jeffrey Blehar

Jeffrey Blehar is a National Review staff writer living in Chicago. He is also the co-host of National Review’s Political Beats podcast, which explores the great music of the modern era with guests from the political world happy to find something non-political to talk about.