{"id":352977,"date":"2026-06-27T21:17:16","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T21:17:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/352977\/"},"modified":"2026-06-27T21:17:16","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T21:17:16","slug":"talarico-looks-for-momentum-with-black-voters-at-dem-convention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/352977\/","title":{"rendered":"Talarico looks for momentum with Black voters at Dem convention"},"content":{"rendered":"

CORPUS CHRISTI \u2014\u00a0Black Democrats caucusing at the Texas Democratic Party convention Friday cheered when state Rep. James Talarico<\/a>, the Democratic U.S. Senate nominee, said November would bring an end to three decades of one-party statewide rule.<\/p>\n

But some of the most emphatic applause he received during his remarks<\/a> came when he acknowledged the Democratic Party\u2019s \u201ctroubling history of taking Black voters for granted.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s just be very honest,\u201d Talarico said Friday to a room in Corpus Christi packed full of Black Democrats from around the state. \u201cI am committing to you to not make those mistakes. I am committed to working with the members of this caucus to show up for, invest in and fight for the votes of every Black Texan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nearly four months after defeating U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett<\/a> of Dallas \u2014\u00a0one of the state\u2019s most prominent Black politicians \u2014\u00a0for the U.S. Senate nomination, Talarico\u2019s quest to coalesce Black Democrats behind his candidacy was still ongoing among the party\u2019s rank-and-file activists at a convention where Texas Democrats were looking to present a forceful show of unity.<\/p>\n

The unease about Talarico\u2019s standing with Black Texans stems from a primary in which polls consistently showed the Austin Democrat with meager support \u2014 sometimes under 10% \u2014 from Black voters. The rest went to Crockett, forming the basis of her 46% vote share in the March primary. She endorsed Talarico the day after her loss and urged Democrats to \u201crally around\u201d their nominees. <\/p>\n

More recently, however, Crockett has cast doubt<\/a> on whether Black voters have unified behind Talarico and the broader statewide ticket. Ahead of this week\u2019s convention, which she skipped, Crockett also declined to commit to campaigning for Talarico, telling the Dallas Morning News she was \u201cmore focused on down-ballot races.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, then a Democratic primary candidate for U.S. Senate, takes a selfie with an audience member following a debate at the 2026 Texas AFL-CIO COPE Convention in Georgetown on Jan. 24, 2026. Bob Daemmrich for The Texas Tribune<\/p>\n

Energizing the Black voters core to the Democratic base will be critical for Talarico\u2019s chances in November, when he\u2019ll need a surge in turnout among left-leaning voters, even as he also works to appeal to independents and moderate Republicans \u2014 namely those repelled by the legal and ethical scandals and hard-right politics of Republican U.S. Senate nominee Ken Paxton<\/a>, the attorney general.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have to tell this caucus, though, that there is no way to win this race without Black Texans \u2014 no way at all,\u201d Talarico said. \u201cThis is not going to be easy. This is a big state, and we don\u2019t have a lot of time. But I am looking forward to being your partner in this fight, because we have to win.\u201d<\/p>\n

Talarico \u2014 who also stopped by several other caucuses Friday, including the Latino, labor and Stonewall Democrats\u2019 meetings \u2014 was well received at the Black caucus, with a notable portion of the room jumping to their feet when he appeared.<\/p>\n

Still, Black elected officials and local activists at the convention said the Austin Democrat, along with the broader statewide ticket and state party, had more work to do to engage and mobilize Black Democrats across the state, while noting that there was still time to do so before November.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe feeling overall is they\u2019re not\u201d doing enough, state Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins<\/a>, chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, said in an interview at the convention. \u201cA lot of Black Texans are angry. They feel disenfranchised, and they feel that the party has taken them and their votes for granted. So I am worried that folks will sit out, folks won\u2019t vote.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gervin-Hawkins was among a handful of Black Texas House Democrats, in addition to local Black community leaders, who signed on to a recent letter to Talarico relaying concerns about the level of his campaign\u2019s outreach to Black voters and asking for a clearer picture of his strategy in the coming months.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur intent is not to criticize but to collaborate,\u201d a draft of the letter, obtained by The Texas Tribune, reads. \u201cWe want to ensure that Black communities are viewed as essential partners in this campaign and that the concerns, priorities and leadership of Black Texans are reflected in the path forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"State Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, meets convention attendees at the Texas Democratic Convention in Corpus Christi on Friday, June 26, 2026. Eddie Gaspar\/The Texas Tribune<\/p>\n

State Sen. Royce West<\/a> of Dallas, one of the state\u2019s longest-tenured Black officials, said he was heartened by Talarico\u2019s efforts so far to connect with Black communities. But, echoing the letter\u2019s signatories, he said the candidate\u2019s plan for Black outreach had yet to fully manifest.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re still writing the story,\u201d West, who has endorsed Talarico, said. \u201cWe\u2019re not there yet. But I can tell you, I\u2019m pleased by the steps that I\u2019ve seen thus far.\u201d<\/p>\n

West, who lost the Democratic U.S. Senate primary in 2020 to a white opponent, MJ Hegar, whose Black outreach he later criticized<\/a>, continued, \u201cI see good faith \u2014 but I\u2019ve seen good faith before that ended up being not fully realized. But this time around, I think it\u2019s going to be different.\u201d<\/p>\n

Asked if he thought Talarico and the broader ticket was doing enough to earn Black voters\u2019 trust, state Rep. Venton Jones<\/a> of Dallas said, \u201cno,\u201d but that the next few months ahead of Labor Day \u2014 the unofficial kickoff of election season \u2014 would be the time for that organizing.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now we\u2019re waiting to see what happens. There\u2019s a lot of work to be done,\u201d he said, while acknowledging that Democrats\u2019 insufficient efforts to mobilize Black voters predates the campaigns of Talarico and other 2026 nominees.<\/p>\n

Since clinching the nomination, Talarico has worked to build his support among Black voters by visiting Black churches and universities, meeting with local Black leaders around the state and outlining a policy plan<\/a> to combat maternal mortality, which disproportionately affects Black women. He has also scooped up endorsements from influential Black Democrats who backed Crockett in the primary, like Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, along with groups such as Omega Network for Action<\/a>, a national organization affiliated with the major Black fraternity Omega Psi Phi.<\/p>\n

\"Then-StateThen-State Board of Education member Aicha Davis takes notes during an SBOE meeting in Austin on June 26, 2024. Olivia Anderson\/The Texas Tribune<\/p>\n

\u201cJames is doing everything he can do to figure out how to engage with the Black community,\u201d state Rep. Aicha Davis<\/a> of Dallas, a Talarico campaign surrogate, said. \u201cHe\u2019s being in uncomfortable spaces, he\u2019s hearing criticism, he\u2019s taking it back and he\u2019s planning to not just to win Black votes, but to improve Black communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some of those efforts have revealed the fledgling state of Talarico\u2019s mission to win over Black voters. When Talarico visited Prairie View A&M University<\/a>, the oldest historically Black public university in Texas, in April, just a couple hundred students attended his town hall out of a population of over 10,000, said Waller County Democratic Party Chair Denise Mattox.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not that they\u2019re against him, or they don\u2019t believe in him, or they don\u2019t want to go for him,\u201d Mattox said. But \u201che\u2019s not an entity for them right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, she said she appreciated his address to the Black caucus in Corpus Christi Friday. \u201cThat was the most important message to Black voters you can tell them: \u2018You are not invisible, I am going to represent you,\u2019\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

During the primary, Talarico repeatedly praised Crockett\u2019s leadership and urged his supporters to remain respectful. But the contest was nevertheless fraught with racial tensions<\/a>, with some of Crockett\u2019s supporters accusing Talarico\u2019s campaign of racism, based on the case many of his backers made that the Dallas congresswoman, a partisan firebrand, would be less electable in a general election. The primary was also thrown for a loop when former U.S. Rep. Colin Allred, after dropping out of the race just before Crockett\u2019s entry, later amplified a content creator\u2019s accusation that Talarico referred to him as a \u201cmediocre Black man,\u201d a charge Talarico disputes.<\/p>\n

Some of the bad blood has spilled beyond the primary, as a scattering of the social media influencers<\/a> who boosted Crockett have defended her muted support for Talarico, while accusing his supporters of alienating Black Democrats by acting entitled<\/a>. Those posts, in turn, have received a flood of backlash from other Democrats replying that the discourse from Crockett stalwarts is stoking intraparty divisions. Republicans have taken notice of the lingering tensions online, with several, including Gregg Keller, a spokesperson for a pro-Paxton super PAC, fanning the flames<\/a> on X.<\/p>\n

State Rep. Ron Reynolds<\/a>, who backed Crockett in the primary, said Talarico \u201chas to work extra hard to build that trust\u201d and win over Crockett\u2019s coalition of Black supporters, some of whom still have \u201chard feelings\u201d after their candidate came up short.<\/p>\n

But Reynolds added that Talarico\u2019s campaign was \u201cworking diligently to earn the African American vote\u201d and had committed to him to continuing to invest in outreach to Black communities.<\/p>\n

\"\"State Rep. Ron Reynolds, D-Missouri City, speaks at the Black Caucus event at the Texas Democratic Convention in Corpus Christi on Friday. Eddie Gaspar\/The Texas Tribune<\/p>\n

\u201cHe understands that that\u2019s probably one of his biggest hurdles right now, and he is not ignoring it,\u201d Reynolds said. \u201cIt hasn\u2019t materialized fully yet, obviously, but I do believe that the convention is a way to kick it off and level set it. I believe when they leave here, they\u2019ll be going across the state.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recent public polling<\/a> found that two-thirds of Black voters<\/a> planned to support Talarico in November, with around 12% unsure either way. At this point in their respective election cycles in 2018 and 2024, Democratic U.S. Senate nominees Beto O\u2019Rourke<\/a> and Allred<\/a> both polled below 50% among Black voters \u2014\u00a0and both ultimately<\/a> won roughly 90%<\/a> of the group.<\/p>\n

Still, Democrats are concerned less with the prospect of Black voters defecting to Paxton, and more so with the potential that too many will stay home or skip the Senate race on their ballots.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith Congresswoman Crockett\u2019s loss, there are no \u2014 zero, zilch, nada \u2014 Black statewide candidates for the midterms. Black Texans are hurt, angry and discouraged,\u201d state Rep. Jolanda Jones<\/a> of Houston said on stage at the convention Saturday. \u201cBut there is good news: We can earn the Black vote \u2014 not assume it, not expect it, but earn it.\u201d<\/p>\n

In a nod to Texas\u2019 history of Black leadership, Talarico opened his speech to the full convention Friday night with a quote from Barbara Jordan, the trailblazing Houston Democrat who became the first Black woman elected to Congress from the South.<\/p>\n

\u201cBarbara Jordan said: \u2018I get from the soil and spirit of Texas the feeling that I, as an individual, can accomplish whatever I want to,\u2019\u201d Talarico said. \u201cBarbara Jordan felt that spirit of Texas in her bones. It was the spirit that propelled her from the hells of Jim Crow to the halls of power. I feel that spirit tonight in this room.\u201d<\/p>\n

Disclosure: Prairie View A&M University has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune\u2019s journalism. Find a complete\u00a0list of them here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"CORPUS CHRISTI \u2014\u00a0Black Democrats caucusing at the Texas Democratic Party convention Friday cheered when state Rep. James Talarico,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":352978,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[58718,155,2133,2135,1967,2424,93390,37181,27,2963,29,28,2134],"class_list":["post-352977","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-texas","tag-barbara-gervin-hawkins","tag-corpus-christi","tag-democrats","tag-james-talarico","tag-ken-paxton","tag-republicans","tag-ron-reynolds","tag-royce-west","tag-texas","tag-texas-democratic-party","tag-texas-headlines","tag-texas-news","tag-u-s-senate"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352977","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=352977"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352977\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/352978"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=352977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=352977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=352977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}