Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) is pushing back against suggestions she's not doing enough to help fellow Democrat James Talarico in his Senate bid, telling reporters in Houston that her support for him is unwavering even as her own political action committee has yet to endorse him.
"I've endorsed him 100 times," Crockett said Monday, the first day of early voting in Texas, according to the Houston Chronicle. She argued that her focus on down-ballot races will ultimately lift the entire Democratic ticket, including Talarico, who is locked in a tight contest with Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton.
Talarico defeated Crockett in the Texas Democratic primary earlier this year. Since then, Crockett has declined to appear on the campaign trail with him. In August, she told CNN she would concentrate on "campaigning down ballot" instead. On Monday, she doubled down on that strategy, saying the top of the ticket will benefit from her efforts to boost turnout for local candidates such as Letitia Plummer and Alisa Simmons, both running for county judge positions.
In May, Crockett launched the "Fuel Individual Rights Everywhere" (FIRE) leadership PAC. Later that month, all five Texas candidates backed by the PAC won their primary runoffs. But Talarico was not among the 14 candidates the PAC endorsed last month, as reported by The Washington Post. Its current endorsement list, which now exceeds 50 candidates, still does not include him.
When criticized over the omission, Crockett reposted her concession to Talarico on X. "Y'all are corny! I keep receipts. I'll be happy when people either give a damn about FACTS or news media goes back to the news instead of deciding to ride the tabloid lane. NOW FOR THE 1000th time maybe write an article about KEN F*in PAXTON. Y'all all sound like corny groupie a— OPS!" she wrote last month.
The congresswoman's remarks come as three recent polls show Talarico narrowly leading Paxton with two weeks until Election Day. No Democrat has won a statewide race in Texas since 1994, making the contest a key target for national Democrats. Talarico has been active on the campaign trail, recently slamming Biden on border policy and ICE tactics and defending provocative theological remarks. He also went solo at a CNN town hall after Paxton skipped the debate.
Republicans, meanwhile, are showing signs of anxiety. Former President Trump has taunted Talarico as "missing" amid a debate standoff and made a Texas blitz underscoring GOP worries about the race. Talarico's campaign has weathered distractions, including a flu-related absence that became a Paxton attack line.
Crockett's independent streak has frustrated some Democrats who want to see a unified front. But her allies say her down-ballot efforts could drive turnout in key local races and ultimately help Talarico. With early voting underway, the stakes are high for Texas Democrats hoping to break their decades-long statewide drought.
