Texas' Senate primary race between Crockett and Talarico ramps up after pulled Colbert interview

Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas is urging supporters to look at experience in a heated U.S. Senate primary with state Rep. James Talarico as he rides on wider attention thanks to late-night host Stephen Colbert

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Democratic Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas on Thursday urged supporters to look at experience in a heated U.S. Senate primary with state Rep. James Talarico, who is riding a burst of wider attention in the race’s pivotal final stretch over his unaired interview with late-night host Stephen Colbert.

The March 3 primary in Texas is the nation’s first big contest of the 2026 midterm elections, and with early voting already underway, Talarico and Crockett are ramping up their bids as some Democrats see increasing opportunity in November’s elections despite not having won a statewide race in Texas in more than 30 years.

Crockett rallied voters at multiple stops around Dallas, her hometown, and in Fort Worth, campaigning in the county where a Democrat last month pulled off a stunning special election victory in a heavily Republican district carried by President Donald Trump.

“Now, I’m not saying that this moment is easy, but at least ya’ll know exactly how I operate in this moment on the federal level,” Crockett told supporters in Fort Worth. “You know who I am. You know how I get down.”

Talarico began his own statewide tour this week and had sat for an interview on Colbert's show. But on Monday night, Colbert announced on the air that CBS lawyers had said the show couldn’t broadcast the interview over fears of running afoul of Trump administration regulators.